She's Lost Control
by a-bit-of-madness
Summary: Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be? When Jess came to show Rory his book she took his words to heart and realized what she had done to herself, how far she had really fallen down the rabbit hole Emily Gilmore had led her to. So she takes a step back, assesses the situation and runs, following Jess and trying to put her life back together.
1. Chapter 1

**She's Lost Control**

 **Chapter One**

"What the hell is going on?" Jess interrupted her many excuses for Logan's behaviour. "I mean with you. What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"You know what I mean. I know you, I know you better than anyone. This isn't you."

His words hit her square in the chest. Words that she had been trying not to think about since the day he had shown up at Yale begging her to run away with him.

He did know her better than anyone, and now he was standing in front of her throwing everything she was doing wrong in her face. Saying everything her mother had tried to tell her over and over again.

"WHY DID YOU DROP OUT OF YALE!?" He demanded, and she detected a hint of pain in his voice. As if he knew that every day she wasn't there, she was slowly killing something inside her- the part that made her the person she really was, not the girl she had become in the last year.

"It's complicated." She tried to argue, but Jess had always seen things in black and white.

"It's not! It's not complicated!" He insisted.

"You don't know!"

"This isn't you!" He insisted again. "This, you going out with this jerk with the Porsche- we used to make fun of guys like him!"

His mention of the days when there was a 'we' made her stop for a second, and somewhere in the back of her mind she saw a flash of who she used to be. Of the Rory Gilmore she had been all those years ago when Jess was so much a part of her life, but as quickly as the thought came, she pushed it away.

"You caught him on a bad night," she said, going back to defending Logan .

"This isn't about him!" Jess yelled in exasperation. "What's going on with you? This isn't you Rory, you know it isn't. What's going on?"

His eyes didn't leave hers, his tone pleading with her, trying to find the Rory Gilmore that he had known, the one that he had been in love with.

As he yelled, begging her to listen, it was like her brain stopped working. Every question made her more unsure about what she was doing, making her more and more unstable.

And then he stopped yelling and just waited, waited for her to say something- anything.

"I don't know!" She spat back at him, suddenly realizing how true that was. "I don't know."

He could tell by the way her voice softened that he'd struck a chord.

"Look, uh, maybe we'll catch up some other time." He backed away, hoping that if he left now she would stay in her head and come back to her senses. He stepped around the corner, but he didn't go back to his car. Instead, he stood just out of sight and watched as she paced the sidewalk. He didn't go back to his car until he saw her march back into the bar, a determined- if somewhat confused- look on her face.

A few minutes later he saw Logan storm out of the building, get in his car and squeal off- without Rory.

Maybe he really had gotten through to her.

She didn't sleep at all that night. She took a cab home and sat on her bed for hours thinking about everything Jess had said and everything she had done. Sometime around 4 in the morning she started making lists and by 6 she had made her decision. She had turned into someone that she didn't recognize anymore- the person her mother would have been if she hadn't walked away when she did. She was wasting her life partying and drinking, blowing off school and living like the rich and privileged class that her mom had worked so hard to keep her away from. She was standing in quicksand up to her neck and she couldn't help feeling that Jess had been standing there throwing her a rope, begging her to take it. She had ruined everything. Now, here he was offering her an out, a hand to hold onto while she pulled herself back onto solid ground. She looked at his book, which was sitting on her nightstand and noticed a little sheet of paper sticking out it. When she opened it she found a phone number. She prayed that it was his cellphone number as she started stuffing clothes and books into bags and dialled.

"Hello?" His voice was thick with sleep, and it suddenly occurred to her that it was 6 in the morning and she had probably woken him up, but her embarrassment subsided quickly.

"Hi."

"Rory?" She could hear shuffling on his end of the line and figured he was getting out of bed.

"Yeah, it's me."

"It's early, are you okay?"

The concern in his voice tugged at her heart strings, but she pushed that aside. She had to do this without getting too emotional.

"You were right."

"What?"

"You were right. About everything. I'm not myself. I've turned into some sort of monster that Mary Shelley would have dreamed up, but instead of inadvertently killing people I'm planning teas and partying and turning into someone that I don't even recognize anymore. You were right." As she spoke, she felt tears pricking her eyes. "You were so right."

"Ror, it's okay. You can fix it," Jess assured her. "The real Rory Gilmore is still in there, you just have to find her."

There was a long silence before Jess spoke again.

"Rory?"

"I don't know who I am anymore."

It came out no louder than a whisper and he could hear the fear in her voice, the uncertainty. So he took a deep breath and said the one thing that he had promised himself he wouldn't say, feeling like he was taking advantage of her fragile state, but knowing that it was what she needed.

"Do you want some help figuring it out?"

He heard a small sob on the other end of the line and immediately regretted the words. She didn't need him anymore, he had ruined things with her. He had screwed everything up before, and now he had gone and made it even worse.

"Rory, I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I mean I can call Luke and he can come get you, or something. Or your mom, I didn't mean-"

"Can you meet me?" She asked, stopping his rambling.

"Sure. Where?"

"Yale."

She hung up and finished packing, taking only the things that she had brought with her and leaving anything and everything that reminded her of the life that she had been living for the past five months.

This was it. She was walking away, just like her mother had. This life had ruined her, turned her into something she wasn't and taken away everything she had grown up knowing. Things were going to be different now. She had turned the corner. Now she was going to find the real Rory Gilmore, the Rory Gilmore she had walked away from the second she slept with Dean.

This was it. This was her starting point, and where better to start than the last place she had felt even a little bit happy, with the last person who had made her happy.

She slipped out of her room as quietly as she could with her bags. She left a note on the dining room table and for a moment thought of the last time she had lived in this house, how her mother had done the same thing- packing their few belongings into her car and running away from the life that she had never been meant for. Knowing that she was doing what her mom had wanted for them all those years ago gave her the smallest feeling of pride. She was finally on the right path.

When she closed the large front door behind her, she knew that she wouldn't be back anytime soon- maybe not ever. This was a part of her life that she needed to leave far behind her. She needed to look to the future now, to her own happiness, to getting her life back- to Jess.

Jess was her future. She had known it for years.

Since the night he crashed her car.

Since he left for California, and she felt her heart break in a way that it never had with Dean. Since he had told her he loved her and ran off, not waiting for her answer.

Since he had stood in her dorm, begging her to run away with him, and it had taken every ounce of strength that she had in her body to say 'no' when all she wanted was to scream 'yes'.

For a moment she allowed herself to think of how different her life would have been if she had said 'yes', but she knew if she had gone then it wouldn't have lasted. They were both too screwed up to make it work at that point, they weren't ready.

But now? Jess was her future, her one. The person she wanted to hang out with until she dropped dead, and she was finally ready to admit that to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As soon as she hung up, Jess was out of bed and pulling on his clothes. His bag was already packed and sitting in his car, waiting for him to return to Philadelphia that morning, so he grabbed the last few items scattered around the room and headed for his car. She hadn't said where she was going to meet him at Yale, but he had a pretty good idea where he would find her and headed for her old dormitory. The same building where he had once asked her to run away with him.

Remembering that night always made him cringe. He could still hear her saying 'no' over and over again, and the thought made his chest hurt. He didn't blame her, though. He knew now that he hadn't been ready. If she had left with him that night it would have been a disaster, and he probably would have lost her forever.

As it was he had resigned himself to living without her, knowing that he would never be able to take back all the hurt he had caused her over the years.

But tonight, he felt a spark of hope. Something in her voice, the fact that she had called him- not her mother- the way she had asked him to meet her. Something was different.

So for the first time in years, he let himself have hope. He let himself think about what their future would be like, what it would be like to have her, to know that she was his and he was hers. He had promised himself that he would never hurt her again, and as he drove to Yale, he promised himself that he would leave this night in her hands.

He knew what he wanted and he was ready. He was ready to be the man she needed, instead of the scared teenager that she had known before. He was ready to take care of her, to give her everything that she had ever wanted or dreamed of.

The ball was in her court now. It was her turn to decide.

He found her easily, standing beside her car and staring at the old building. She had had so many hopes and dreams surrounding this building and all it had to offer, and for a moment he was overcome by sadness knowing that someone had taken that away from her- and that he had played a part in that at one point. He had caused her so much pain and suffering over the years, and before getting out of the car he said a quick prayer to whoever or whatever was listening, begging for a chance to right his wrongs against the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

He parked beside her and got out of the car, but she didn't look at him. Instead, she kept staring at the building in front of her. For a minute he thought that she had somehow missed him pulling up beside her, but just as he was about to step closer, she spoke in the same whisper she had used on the phone when she admitted that she didn't know who she was anymore. If he hadn't been listening closely, he would have missed it.

"Ask me again."

The words sent a jolt through his body, as if he had been struck by lightning. He almost couldn't believe it, but he didn't dare ask her to repeat herself. Instead, he stepped forward so he could see her face and be sure she meant what she was saying.

"Come with me."

She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until he asked- praying that he would know what she meant, that he still wanted it. That he still wanted her.

He watched as a look of relief passed over her face and she let out a deep breath. Then he saw the smallest hint of a smile through the tears she was blinking back.

"Okay," she whispered.

"Okay." He smiled back and held out his hand, waiting for her to take a step towards him- towards the future.

As soon as their hands touched, he knew they would make it. This was their time. It was finally the right time. Sure, they had a lot of kinks to work out, it wasn't going to be smooth sailing, sunshine and daisies, but they were ready this time.

As he was thinking about that, she fell into his chest and let out a harsh sob. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, it was time for him to be the strong one. He was going to be the rock that she needed right now.

"It's okay," he assured her. "Everything's going to be okay now."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Rory had calmed down enough to form words, he guided her into his car so they could actually talk about the situation at hand.

"Okay, so as much as I would love to just run away with you, I feel like we have to discuss some things before that happens."

She let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, I guess. But can we do it somewhere else?"

"Sure. There's a diner right around my hotel. Do you want to go get some coffee?"

"Okay," Rory agreed.

"Do you want to take your own car?"

"Can we come back for it?" She asked. "I don't think I should be driving right now."

Jess nodded and started the car, letting the Clash fill the silence.

They were on their second cup of coffee before she spoke again.

"What do we do?"

"What do you want to do?" Jess asked.

"I want to put my life back together."

She looked like she was about to start crying again, so Jess reached across the table and took her hand.

The feeling of something solid to hold onto helped.

"So let's put your life back together."

"I don't know how."

"Alright, well, you want to know what I know about Rory Gilmore?"

"What?"

"She's freakishly close with her mother, who happens to live just a few miles away from where we're sitting right now."

Rory shook her head vigorously. "No. I know what you mean, but no. I can't face her yet."

"Rory-"

"No! Jess, I can't do it. I have to put my life back together without her. I have to figure out what I'm doing before I can fix things with her."

"Okay," Jess squeezed her hand. "Okay."

She took another sip of coffee and started staring at the menu again.

"What about the guy?" Jess asked tentatively. "That blonde dick from last night."

"Logan," Rory sighed. "He walked out of the restaurant after we finished screaming at each other because he thought I was blaming him for all my partying and drinking and dropping out of school."

"So you guys are done?"

"Yeah. We are definitely done. I'm here with you, am I not?"

"I just wanted to make sure you weren't doing anything you're going to regret."

"I'm not," she assured him. "I'm doing exactly what I should be doing."

"Drinking coffee with me?"

She gave him the first real smile he had seen on her face in years, and he knew that she was thinking the same thing he was- he would be happy to sit and drink coffee with her forever.

"I'm supposed to go back to Philly today," he told her.

Rory nodded, looking down at their hands still intertwined on the table not sure what to do with that information.

"Will you come with me?"

The question left her speechless for a moment. The realization that he really did want her to come with him, that he wanted this as much as she did, that they were finally ready.

"Yes."

Jess beamed at her, he couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as he did in that moment, hearing that word come out of her mouth and knowing that she really meant it.

"Okay. Then let's start there. Do you need anything from your grandmother's house?"

"No. I took everything that I needed. She can do whatever she wants with the rest of it. I don't need it anymore- or want it, for that matter. What about my car?"

"You don't want to bring it with you?"

"Not really, unless you think I should."

"You can do whatever you want to do. If you want to leave it here, I know somewhere we can store it."

"I don't want to bring it with me. Not right now," Rory decided. "They bought me that car, and I think I just need to take a step back from everything my grandmother had a part of. I mean, I left all the fancy clothes and crap that she bought me, I think I just need to leave it all."

"Okay," Jess agreed.

The waitress came over to refill their mugs again and they finally ordered. When the food came out, Rory just stared at her plate as if she hadn't even noticed that it was there.

"Ror?" Jess prodded her leg under the table. "You going to eat?"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry." She snapped out of whatever trance she had been in and picked up her fork, digging into the plate of pancakes in front of her.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Luke's," she admitted. "I miss his pancakes."

"Are you sure you don't want to go back to St-"

"I'm sure." Her tone suggested that she didn't want Jess to finish that sentence, so he decided to let the issue go for the time being- although he would definitely be going back to it.

Instead they chatted aimlessly while they ate. Jess told her about writing his book and getting involved with Truncheon, but he noticed that she kept fazing in and out of the conversation.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked. "I mean, other than this whole epiphany of getting your life back. You seem.. off."

"I'm fine." She flagged the waitress down for another refill.

"That's your tenth cup," Jess observed. "I know you like your coffee, but that seems like a lot even for you."

"They have very tiny cups here," Rory argued as she added sugar to her cup.

"They're not that small," he retorted. "When was the last time you slept?"

Her sudden inability to meet his eyes told him that it had been a while.

"Rory?"

"Not since you stopped by."

"That was two days ago!" Jess chastised her. No wonder she had seemed off, she was running on nothing but caffeine and will-power and she was low on both.

"You need to sleep."

"I just haven't been able to," she shrugged. "You know, too much going on in my head. I'll have to crash eventually."

"Not if you keep drinking all this coffee." He reached across the table and snatched the mug out of her hands before she could take another sip.

"Hey!" She protested, trying desperately to reach across the table.

"Forget it, Gilmore. No more coffee until you've slept."

He flagged down their waitress and paid the bill, ignoring Rory's protests that she wanted to get it, then got up and pulled her out of her chair.

"Come on, you need to get some sleep."

"I can sleep later." She waved him off. "We have to take my car to wherever you said we could take it."

"If you think I'm letting you drive, you're insane," Jess shook his head. "I'll take your car. You're going to sleep."

"Where? In the backseat of your car?" Rory asked. "I mean, it's an upgrade from the last car you slept in, but I still doubt that it would be too comfortable."

"Haha." Jess held the door open and waited for her to climb inside. "I'm going to take you back to my hotel, and you're going to sleep there."

She opened her mouth to argue, but Jess closed the door before she got the chance.

"This isn't a discussion."

"Well that's a little controlling, don't you think?"

"Rory, we will have many conversations about many different things in the future. I promise that there will be very few times when I won't discuss everything with you, but this is going to be one of those moments where I deem you unable to make sane decisions and take control. You need to sleep, and if you don't you're going to drive yourself insane and make yourself sick. Okay?"

She looked like she was going to argue with him, but then decided against it, crossing her arms and slamming herself back into the seat.

"Put your seat belt on," Jess tried not to sound too smug.

"Jerk," she muttered.

Almost immediately after pulling out of the parking lot, however, she rested her head on the window and started to doze.

When he pulled up to the hotel, Jess almost didn't want to wake her. She looked so calm, something that he hadn't seen in her since coming back. But he knew that she needed a proper sleep, in a bed, not resting against a car window. So he rounded the car and opened her door, careful to catch her head as he did so to stop her from falling out of the car.

"What happened?" She mumbled, not really awake.

"We're here, go back to sleep." Jess spoke quietly as he reached across her lap to undo her seat belt.

"I'm okay," she shoved him off. "I can do it."

Jess stood back up and waited for her to get herself out, taking her arm and helping her to her feet.

"I can walk on my own!" She argued, but judging by the way she slumped into him as soon as she was standing, he seriously doubted that. So he wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her into the building and onto the elevator.

"This is a nice hotel," she observed as they waited for the elevator to rise.

"Yeah, well, I'm doing a bit better financially since the last time you saw me."

Rory nodded sleepily and rested her head on his shoulder. When the doors opened, he led her to the end of the hall and unlocked the door to his room, making a mental note to put up the Do Not Disturb sign on his way out.

"Okay, you go to sleep now, and I'll go get your car."

"But how will you get back to your car?" Rory asked, not moving away from him.

"I've got it covered, Ror." He assured her, pulling her over to the bed and gently pushing her to sit down. "Take your shoes off and get under the covers."

She huffed, but did as she was told.

Jess had almost forgotten how stubborn she got when she was tired- almost.

When Jess was finally sure that she was asleep, he got up and started towards the door.

"Jess," her voice was so soft that for a second he wondered if she was talking in her sleep, but then she turned over and looked at him. "Thank you."

He walked back over and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Go to sleep," he whispered. "I'll be back soon."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As soon as he got back to his car, Jess pulled out his phone and dialled the only phone number he had memorized.

"Luke's."

"Hey, Luke."

"Jess, hey. I'm kind of swamped here. Can I call you back?" Luke asked.

"I just left Rory," Jess told him.

"Caesar, I need you to take over for me!"

Jess listened as the noise died down, figuring that Luke was sitting down in the storage room.

"What do you mean, you just left Rory?" He demanded.

"Long story short, she had an epiphany and she's coming back to Philadelphia with me for a while."

"How long? What do you mean an epiphany? What's going on?!"

"Look, I don't really know the details yet. She hasn't said anything of substance, other than that she needs to get away from all this and figure her life out again. She left a bunch of stuff at her grandmother's because she felt like it was part of the reason she had fallen so far. That's really all I know."

"Okay," Luke sighed. "I'd better go call Lorelai."

"No, you can't tell her!"

"What do you mean I can't tell her?"

"Look, I told Rory to call her- I told her a couple times, but she just keeps insisting that she can't do it yet. She says she needs to get it together before she brings her mom back into her life."

"That's fine. But she needs to know where her daughter is. I'll make sure she doesn't call."

"Luke, please. I think we really need to let her do this her way." Jess pleaded, suddenly feeling incredibly overwhelmed by the whole situation.

"Fine," Luke conceded.

"Look, the reason I actually called is because I need somewhere to store her car."

"Excuse me?"

"Not because I'm kidnapping her or anything," Jess assured him. "She just doesn't want to take her car. Says it reminds her of her grandparents and that she needs to take a step back from all that. I just need somewhere to put it. Can you put it in the garage you used to hide mine in?"

"Yeah, sure. If you get it down here I'll store it."

"I'll need a ride back to my car, though."

"That's fine I'll figure something out," Luke promised. "Wait, where's Rory? Why isn't she driving her car?"

"She's at my hotel. She hadn't slept in days so I told her I'd deal with her car while she slept."

"Alright, how long do you think it'll take you to get here?"

"Twenty minutes, give or take?" Jess guessed. "I just pulled up to her car."

"Okay. You get the car to the garage and I'll meet you there."

"Thanks, Luke. I'll see you in a bit."

Jess hung up and let out a sigh, rubbing his hands over his face. He wondered what he had gotten himself into with this girl, then realized that he didn't really care. He would do anything for her.

As promised, Luke was waiting for him when he pulled up to the garage. He had been careful to take the back roads once he got into Stars Hollow, hoping that no one would notice he was driving Rory's car.

"Jess," Luke greeted him with an awkward hug.

"Uncle Luke," he joked.

"So, you and Rory?"

"I don't know what's going on right now. Let's not talk about it," Jess pleaded.

"She's okay though?" Luke asked, a worried look in his eyes.

It occurred to Jess that Rory was the closest thing Luke had to a daughter, it seemed only natural that he would be worried about her.

"Honestly?" Jess shook his head. "I don't know. I know she's going through a lot right now, but I have no idea what's going on in her head. We spent a few hours talking over breakfast, but not enough that I really know anything. She's not Rory, but..." He trailed off and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know."

Luke reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," he assured him. "You guys will figure it out. If there's one thing I've always known about you, it's that you're in love with that girl. You'll get her through this."

Jess just nodded, not sure how to respond to that kind of faith.

"So, how long do you think you'll leave the car here?" Luke asked, trying to move past the awkward family moment they had fallen into.

"I don't know. Until she's ready to come get it, I guess."

"Alright. Now I just have to make sure Lorelai doesn't find it."

"Does she make a habit of rooting around your garage?" Jess asked, a little amused.

"Lorelai does very strange things," Luke reasoned.

Jess couldn't argue with that. The first time he had met the woman she had gone on for over a minute about wanting a cream pie to shove in her face. Strange was a bit of an understatement.

"Well, I'm sure you'll think of something. Just tell her it's haunted or something, she'd probably believe you."

"Yeah. So you need a ride back to Hartford?"

"Yale, actually. I just need to get all of Rory's stuff out of here. I don't know what she does or doesn't need."

"Okay, my truck is parked outside the diner. I'll pull around and we can go."

"You got it, Uncle Luke."

Luke glared at him, then hurried away.

Their drive up to Yale was characteristically silent, neither one of them saying a word until Jess pointed out his car in the parking lot.

"Thanks for the ride, and storing the car." Jess said as he got out of the car.

"Sure," Luke nodded. "And Jess?"

Jess turned back to the open window.

"I'm here. For whatever you need or Rory. I'm always just a phone call away."

"I know," Jess assured him. "And I'll try and get her to call Lorelai soon."

"Thanks."

Luke waited for him to start his car before driving away, thinking about how he could keep this from Lorelai without her hating him for it.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update this story, but I'm back now and I think I have the rest of the story pretty much planned out so hopefully I'll be able to update more often. Some of you have noticed that I've been reposting the first few chapters, and that's just because I was reading through it and did some minor editing. Nothing important has changed. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!_

 **Chapter 5**

When Jess got back to the hotel Rory was still asleep, but he noticed that her phone was sitting on the bedside table now.

He closed the door quietly and dropped into a chair, pulling a book out of his back pocket. Howl, the same book that had sparked his and Rory's entire relationship. He had barely finished one page when he heard her whisper, "I thought you said you didn't read much."

"Well, what is much?" Jess smirked and closed the book, setting it down on the table.

"How you feeling?"

"Who knows. Where's my car?"

"I put it in storage, we can get it back whenever you want."

"What's it going to cost?" Rory asked.

"Nothing. It's a friend of mine's."

"Okay," Rory sat up and took in her surroundings. "Where are we, again?"

"We are in my hotel room, in Hartford."

"Right," she nodded. "I knew that."

"I don't know, you were pretty out of it when we got here."

Rory glared at him, but didn't argue.

"So, when do you have to go home?"

"I was planning on leaving today, but I don't have to be back anytime in particular if there's stuff you need to take care of around here."

"No!" Rory shook her head. "I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Okay, then we can go whenever you're ready."

"I'm ready now." She jumped out of bed and started pulling her shoes on. "Let's go. Why aren't you moving?" She asked, noticing that he wasn't getting up.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked her. "Because I don't want you to do anything you're going to regret. We can wait, you can think this through."

"I _did_ think this through." She walked over and knelt down in front of him. "I've been thinking this through ever since you showed up at Yale and asked me to run away with you. And I thought this through last night, when I realized what I had turned into since you left, what I had let myself turn into. I've thought about it plenty. I'm sure. This is what I want. _You_ are what I want."

"Then let's go," Jess grinned and got up from his chair, pulling her up with him.

"Let's go," Rory grinned back.

It surprised her how quickly they fell back into their old rhythms, talking about the books and arguing about music. Rory found comfort in the familiarity of it all- it made her want to curl up beside Jess and tell him absolutely everything that had happened since he left, but at the same time she couldn't bring herself to talk about it yet. She knew that he wanted her to, though. He never asked about it specifically, but she could tell that he was letting her lead the conversation, giving her the chance to bring it up.

He had just finished explaining to her for what seemed like the thousandth time, how Coldplay could be considered an alternative band when she suddenly got the nerve.

"I don't care how many times we have this argument, I am never going to agree with you." She assured him.

"You would understand my point of view if you just opened your mind a little bit!" Jess reasoned.

When she didn't push back, Jess looked over and saw her staring blankly out the window.

"Ror?" He reached over and put a hand on her leg. "You okay?"

"We stole a boat."

"What?"

"Logan and I, we stole a boat."

"Is that why you dropped out of Yale?" Jess asked.

"No. It just kind of fell into the mix."

"Stealing a boat just kind of fell into the mix?" Jess asked, trying not to sound judgemental.

He had expected her to try and explain what had happened, to tell him what could possibly have lead her to steal a boat. He didn't expect to hear her laugh. It started off as a giggle, and for a second he thought she was crying.

"Rory?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Rory, are you okay?"

"I stole a boat," She laughed, burying her face in her hands. "A freaking boat! I walked into the yacht club one night and just decided to steal a boat!"

The longer she thought about it the harder she laughed, until she couldn't breathe.

"What the hell was I thinking?" She choked out. And then the laughing really was crying, and she was sobbing in the front seat of his car, desperately clutching his hand. "What the hell was I thinking?"

Jess pulled off at the next exit and parked in an abandoned lot.

"Hey, you're okay!" He assured her, turning to face her and rubbing her back. "Rory, it's okay. Take a breath."

"What the hell was I thinking?" She asked again. "I stole a boat! I committed a felony! I finished my community service less than two days ago. I ruined everything! God, I ruined everything!"

Her sobbing was quickly turning into hyperventilating, so Jess quickly got out of the car and rounded to her side, opening the door and pulling her into his arms.

"It's over now, okay? It's all over. It'll be okay." He assured her, rubbing her back comfortingly. "It's all gonna be okay now, just take a deep breath."

She shook her head against his chest.

"It's not okay! It's not okay at all!" She sobbed. "It's a mess! Everything is a mess!"

"It's okay," Jess repeated. "Just take a couple deep breaths, okay. Just breath."

Slowly but surely, her breathing calmed down while Jess rubbed her back soothingly.

"Rory, I know you don't want to talk about it," he started when she finally stopped crying. "But you have to tell me what happened or I won't be able to help."

She nodded against his chest, then took a deep breath and looked up at him.

"Logan's dad gave me an internship at a paper he had just taken over. He's the most important man in the business," she explained. "If Mitchum Huntzberger gives you his seal of approval, you can get a job anywhere. He's the guy to have on your resume."

"Okay?" Jess nodded.

"At the end of the internship he pulled me into his office and told me that I didn't have it."

"It?"

"He said he thought I would make a fantastic secretary one day, but that he didn't think I had what it takes to be a journalist."

"He's insane," Jess assured her, earning him a small smile before she carried on.

"It got to me. I was convinced that his opinion was the only one that mattered in the world. Then I went straight from that meeting to some stupid party for Logan's sister, and I just felt like the world was collapsing in on me. I needed to go somewhere, and the easiest way to do that was to get on a boat. So we stole one."

"You and Logan?" Jess asked.

"Yeah."

"He let you steal a boat?"

"He wasn't the best influence," Rory sighed.

"And here everyone thought I was the problem," Jess joked lightly.

She gave him another soft smile.

"After that, everything just started to fall apart. We got arrested and my mom had to come bail me out of jail, and when I went back to school to write my last final, I couldn't bring myself to put anything on the page. I didn't know what I was going to do anymore. I was convinced I couldn't be a journalist anymore, and I didn't know what to do with myself. So I told my mom I was taking a year off from Yale, and she told me that I wasn't allowed, so I went to my grandparents."

"And they were totally fine with the fact that you stole a boat and were dropping out of school?" Jess asked.

"No, but they wrote it off as some sort of youthful indiscretion and got me a lawyer- who sucked, and ended up getting me way more community service than they planned. From there it was a job at the D.A.R. And all the events and teas."

"That guy is an idiot," Jess assured her. "I've seen you write and you're amazing. You're going to be the next Christiane Amanpour, even if I have to fly you overseas and hold the camera for you myself."

Rory let out a small laugh, wiping the lingering tears from her eyes.

"I realize that, or at least I'm starting to. But thank you. You saying it means a lot."

"Anytime, Gilmore. It's like I told you back in high school, I'll even help you practice."

"You still have to learn a foreign language," She pointed out.

"How do you know?" Jess asked. "Maybe I've learned a dozen foreign languages in the hopes of someday impressing you so much you fall back into my arms."

"Well then I guess you did all that work for nothing, because all it took was showing up."

"Really? The book didn't do it for you?" Jess asked, smiling innocently.

"Maybe a little bit, but I would have come with you anyways."

"Whatever you say, Gilmore."

He leaned forward slowly, waiting for her to meet him halfway- which Rory was more than happy to do. They had been waiting for this moment for years, and it was all Rory could have hoped for- other than the fact that she was still crying a little bit. When their lips met, Jess felt like there were lightning bolts flashing between them. His hands were on her waist, and he couldn't pull her close enough. And once they started it was like they couldn't keep their hands off each other. When Rory finally pulled away, out of air, she had a huge grin on her face. He could barely tell that she had spent the last ten minutes sobbing.

"Are you ready to get back in the car?" Jess asked, smirking at her like they were seventeen again.

"Yeah."

He pecked her on the lips one more time, then returned to his side of the car.

"So, do you want to hear about my night in jail?" Rory asked once they were back on the highway.

"No, I've spent a night in jail. I know what it's like. I'm more interested in how your mom reacted," Jess admitted. "But if you don't want to talk about her," he rushed to cover.

"No, no. It was actually kind of funny," she admitted. "She was pretty pissed when she picked me up, obviously, and it didn't help that Logan's idiot friends had showed up to bail him out. But the next morning she had a lovely little bit worked out. She fed me bread and water for a day and refused to talk to me without sitting at opposite sides of the kitchen table and speaking through disconnected phones like we were in jail."

"So she reacted in her usual way."

"Exactly. She even put my mug shot up on the fridge beside my kindergarten hand prints," Rory laughed. "She probably would have kept doing it for months, if I hadn't moved out the next day."

"I'm sure she'll keep it in her back pocket to pull out at parties," Jess assured her.

"If she ever speaks to me again," Rory sighed.

"Rory, you and your mom have a freakish relationship, as soon as you're ready to call her I'm completely sure that she'll demand you come home immediately. You two will make up as soon as you're ready."

"I hope so," Rory sighed.

"I know so."

He reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

The rest of the drive was filled with casual silence and easy conversation about things that didn't make Rory want to curl up and cry for days. When they weren't talking, Rory pulled out his book and started to read.

"You don't actually have to read it," Jess told her.

"Of course I do, Jess! You wrote a book, just like I always said you could. Of course I'm going to read it."

Jess couldn't think of anything to say to that, so he just shook his head and smiled at the amazing woman sitting beside him- despite everything he had done to push her away.

Once she started reading, there was no making conversation with her. She was sucked into the world that he had created on the pages before her. She didn't put the book down until he pulled into his parking spot outside Truncheon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Rory, we're here."

"What?"

"We're here," Jess repeated. "We're at my apartment."

"Oh!" Rory looked up and closed the book.

"Unless you want to go stay in a hotel," He offered quickly. "You don't have to stay here."

"No! I want to stay here. I want to stay with you," she assured him. "I mean, as long as you want me here. I don't want to be in the way, though. I can go stay in a hotel if it's too much of an imposition!"

"No, I want you here," Jess assured her. "You won't be in the way at all. I definitely want you here."

"Okay."

"Okay."

They got out of the car and Jess led her inside. His roommates, Chris and Matt, were in the middle of an argument about the open house they were having the next month.

"Jess!" Chris cried happily. "Tell Matt to control his poet!"

"Matt, control your poet." Jess said, pulling Rory towards the stairs.

"Whose your friend?" Matt asked.

"This is Rory," Jess stopped and pulled her to his side. "Rory, these are the other idiots who run this place- Matt and Chris."

"Nice to meet you," she waved shyly, hiding behind Jess like a five year old.

"You too," Matt smiled and gave Jess a knowing look.

"Okay, we're going to go upstairs now," Jess informed them, leading Rory as far away as possible before they could give her the third degree.

"See you later," the guys waved.

"They seem nice," Rory offered.

"They're great," Jess agreed. "But as soon as I go back down there, they're going to rake me over the coals."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault, it's just who they are. They should be publishing a gossip column instead of a 'zine," he joked.

"You mean you guys don't have a gossip column?"

"Not yet. You looking to get back in the game?"

"We'll see. Where are we going, exactly?" She asked, trailing him up multiple flights of stairs.

"I have the apartment in the attic," Jess explained.

"Not the cupboard under the stairs?"

"Very funny." Jess opened the door and ushered her inside.

It was definitely small, but it felt like home. There were shelves covering every wall, filled with books and CDs. The kitchen was small, but not so small that it was completely useless. The furniture was worn, but obviously comfortable, and the coffee table was covered in notebooks and manuscripts.

"It's not much, but-"

"It's perfect," Rory interrupted.

It reminded her of the garden shed where she and Lorelai had lived when they first moved to Star's Hollow. It was simple and make-shift, but it was home. It was exactly what she needed right now- a reminder of where she really came from. It was perfect.

"Look around, make yourself comfortable. I'm going to go get our stuff," Jess told her. "Bathroom's through there and that's the bedroom."

"Okay," Rory nodded and made her way to the closest bookshelf, admiring the collection that Jess had acquired since moving out of Luke's.

"Rory?" Chris demanded as soon as Jess came into view on the staircase. "As in, The Rory? The girl you've been in love with since you were seventeen? The reason you wrote your book?"

"It's not exactly a common name," Jess told him.

"So it is her?" Matt pushed.

"Yes, it's her."

"What the hell happened? You were going to promote your book."

"I met her for a drink and one thing led to another. Look, we're not going to sit around, do each other's hair and talk about this. I have to get our stuff."

" _Our_ stuff?" Chris asked. "She's got stuff?"

"She's going to be living here for a while," Jess told them. "Now, can one of you give me a hand with these bags?"

"What do you mean, 'living here'?" Matt asked, following him out the door.

"She's having a hard time right now and she needed to get out of the situation she was in and get some space, so she's staying here." Jess explained, grinding his teeth in annoyance.

"Okay, just one more question." Chris pleaded, recognizing the look of annoyance and knowing Jess would just start ignoring them in a minute.

"Fine."

"Is she here as a friend, or something more?"

"She's not here as a friend," Jess admitted. "But other than that, I don't know what she's doing right now. We haven't really sat down and talked about it. As of last night she had a boyfriend. He was a total douche bag, but a boyfriend no less."

"So you have no idea what's going on, she just kind of ran away with you?" Matt summed up.

"Basically," Jess agreed.

"Alright, well, keep us posted."

"I'll try not to," Jess assured them. "Now help me get this stuff upstairs."

"There's a lot of bags here," Matt noted when Jess popped the trunk.

"She took everything with her when she left," Jess shrugged. "And now it's all here. Are you going to help or not?"

"What the hell is in this!?" Matt gasped, trying to lift a duffel bag.

"Books."

"Oh God! Another one."

"We run a publishing house," Jess pointed out.

"Yes, but we don't hoard books like you, and apparently your new girlfriend."

"Are you going to carry it?" Jess asked. "Or do you need a real man? Or should I go get Rory to carry it again, seeing as she packed and moved it in the first place."

His friend glared at him, then hefted the bag onto his bag, trying not to wince.

Rory had turned her phone off soon after Jess had left her in the hotel because it wouldn't stop ringing- not that she was surprised. She had expected her grandmother to call and demand to know where she was, but she couldn't bring herself to answer the phone and speak to her, and it was really hard to sleep when her phone was going off every ten seconds. When Jess went to get their stuff, she decided to turn it back on and check her messages- all 12 of them, to go with the 24 missed calls.

"Rory, this is your grandmother," the first one started. "What is the meaning of this note? You do not just leave without any notice. And you completely ignored your responsibilities, you had a luncheon to host today! Young lady, I am very disappointed in you! This is completely inappropriate and I demand that you call me as soon as you get this!"

"Lorelai Gilmore, this is ridiculous. You do not just ignore people! And this note! _Dear Grandma and Grandpa, I don't belong here anymore. I'm sorry. I'll call you soon, Rory._ Well here I am, waiting for your call, and has one come? Have I missed it? I don't think so. Rory I am very disappointed in you."

Rory didn't bother to listen to the rest of the messages, she knew they would all just be her grandmother yelling at her about etiquette. She had just picked her book back up when the phone rang again. She had to face the lion sometime.

"Hello?"

"Ace, where the hell are you?" Logan demanded.

Rory cursed herself for not paying for caller ID.

"Logan, what do you want?"

"Where the hell are you?" He asked again. "I've got your grandmother calling me every ten minutes demanding to know where you are, up until now you haven't been answering your phone. What's going on?"

"What do you care?" Rory asked. "You left me in a restaurant, after screaming at me that everything I'm doing isn't your fault."

"I was mad, we were having a fight, people fight. Rory I'm sorry!"

"You know what, it doesn't matter. Because Jess was right. Everything he said was right, and I realize that now. So you don't have to worry about where I am anymore. It's not your problem."

"So what? That's it? You're breaking up with me?"

"Yeah, that's it. I'm sorry, but you're bad for me Logan. Not that that's your fault, you just are. I need to put my life back together, and you're just not part of that. I'm sorry."

"Rory!" Logan tried to argue, but she hung up before he could say anything else. She stared at the phone in her hand, thinking about what she had just done. This was one more step in the right direction. She heard the door open, and from the corner of her eye saw Jess and his housemates bringing in the bags and a couple boxes from the car, but she didn't look up.

"How did she carry this?!" One of them demanded, dropping what she figured was her bag of books on the floor. "Look at her, she's tiny!"

"You're just weak," Jess patted him on the back.

"Do you guys want to go get something to eat later?" The other asked.

"Rory?" Jess turned to her. "Do you want to go?"

She didn't answer, still staring at her phone.

"Rory?" Jess asked again, and she felt a few tears slip down her cheeks.

"Is that a no?" Matt asked, looking at Jess for some sort of explanation.

"I'll let you know," Jess pushed them out the door and hurried over to her. "Rory, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." She tried to shrug it off, swiping quickly at her face.

"No you're not," Jess pulled her hands away. "What happened?"

"I just talked to Logan," she admitted. "He was so mad when I told him that it really was over. And I know I shouldn't be upset, because I love you. I'm in love with you, and I know that he's bad for me and that he messed up so much for me, but it was still a relationship. We were together for a long time, and he helped me through a lot of stuff and I just... I don't know. It's just-"

"Okay, okay." Jess sat down and put his arm around her. "It's okay to be sad about breaking up with Logan, even if he was a total douche. You're right, you guys were in a relationship so you obviously had feelings for him. It's okay to be upset."

Rory nodded and wiped her eyes again, still clutching the phone.

"It comes in waves," Jess told her. "The whole process of putting your life back together, it comes in waves. You go from being so excited to start fresh, to being terrified of what you've done."

"Yeah," Rory agreed.

She hadn't realized it until now, but Jess knew exactly how she was feeling. He probably understood it better than anyone else she could talk to, other than her mother.

She was tempted, in that moment, to call her mom and tell her everything, but she stopped herself. She had to be better before she called Lorelai. She had to be back in school, back on track.

She had to be her daughter again.

"So, do you want to go for drinks with the guys?" Jess asked. "Or do you just want to settle in and stuff?"

"No, we can go out with your friends," Rory agreed. "I want them to like me."

"They'll like you whether or not we go out for drinks with them," Jess assured her.

"I want to go," Rory insisted.

"Okay then. I'll go see where they want to go, you get settled in. I'll clear out some drawers for you when I come back."

"I don't need drawers," Rory told him. "I don't want to be an imposition."

"Rory, you're getting drawers." Jess said, walking back over and kissing her forehead. "You're getting drawers and half a closet if you need it. I might even give you some shelf space for your books."

"I don't think you have any shelf space left," Rory observed. "But thank you."

Jess gave her that smirk she loved so much, kissed her again, then left her to get settled.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

They walked to a bar around the corner for food and drinks. Matt and Chris were nice enough. Rory could tell they were trying to get to know her, trying to make a good impression. They were good friends, and she knew that Jess was lucky to have them. Unfortunately, she wasn't in a very 'good times' mood. She tried her best not to be a kill joy, but Jess could tell she was having a hard time and called it a night relatively early, which was a nice change from the life she had been living for the last year.

The first night was awkward. Jess didn't want to push her to do anything she wasn't ready for, insisting that she sleep in his bed and let him sleep on the couch. Rory wanted to argue, but she was too emotionally exhausted from the rest of the day's events, so she just let him decide. When 2 AM came around she was still wide awake, though. She didn't want to say that she was scared to sleep alone, but that was definitely what she was feeling, so she tip toed into the living room and squeezed onto the couch beside Jess.

"Rory? What's wrong?" He asked sleepily, automatically slipping an arm around her waist.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Okay." He moved over and pulled her closer, but quickly realized that there wasn't really enough space for both of them to sleep comfortably on the couch.

"Do you want to go back to bed?" He asked.

When she didn't answer he looked down at her head on his chest and saw that she was already asleep.

"Rory," he whispered, brushing the hair out of her face. "Ror."

"Hmm?"

"Let's go back to bed."

"Okay," she agreed but made no move to get up.

"You have to get up," Jess prodded her.

She sighed and rolled off of him, straight onto the floor. Jess chuckled softly at her, then got up and lifted her into his arms..

"Let's get you to bed."

"Okay." She agreed, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. She was sound asleep before he even made it to the bedroom door.

When she woke up the next morning his side of the bed was already cold and there was a post-it note stuck to her forehead.

 _Went to get groceries, back soon. There's coffee and pop tarts in the cupboard- Jess._

She smiled to herself- the boy certainly knew how to take care of her. She pulled herself out of bed and grabbed a sweater that Jess had left on the floor, then ventured out to find the coffee. Her mother would have been proud of how quickly she sniffed it out. The pot had just finished brewing when Jess got back, arms full of bags.

"Hey, I see you found the coffee. You got my note?"

"You mean the one you stuck to my forehead?" Rory asked. "No, I must have missed it. I used my super spidey senses to find the coffee."

"I just figured you wouldn't miss it if it was stuck to your face," Jess laughed. "I didn't want you to think I'd run off on you."

"Should I worry about that?" Rory asked, sipping her coffee.

"Never," Jess assured her. "So, is there anything you want to do today?"

"No, I'm fine just hanging out around here. Just go about your life, don't worry about me."

"Well, I was just planning on reading some manuscripts."

"Okay."

He sat down on the couch and picked one up off the coffee table.

Rory sat down across from him with her own book, but instead found herself watching Jess as he read.

"You know it hasn't gotten any less creepy when you do that," Jess informed her, without looking up.

"What are you talking about?" She spluttered, getting up to refill her mug.

"You're watching me read."

"I am not!" She cried. "I was reading my book."

"No, you weren't."

"I like watching you read," Rory huffed in defeat. "You always look so... I don't know how to describe it. It's just so familiar and... comforting." She picked her book back up and opened it, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing, then began to read, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"Hypocrite," she mumbled.

"What, you're allowed to stare and I'm not?" Jess asked indignantly.

"I'm just saying," Rory shrugged and bit back a smile.

Before Jess could argue, her phone started to ring.

"And so it starts- a lot later than I thought it would," she realized, looking at the clock on the wall.

"You don't have to answer it," Jess told her.

"I can't avoid them forever," she sighed. "Hello?"

"Well, how kind of you to finally pick up!" Her grandmother snapped. "Young lady, when your phone rings you answer it. That is common courtesy, although you obviously don't understand that at all since you disappeared in the middle of the night! I can't believe you! You are becoming more and more like your mother with every passing day, and when your grandfather gets back we are going to have a very serious conversation about this! This is not okay!" Rory held the phone away from her ear and turned back to her book, letting her grandmother rant and scream uninterrupted. She had nothing to say to her anyways. "Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, you get back to this house this instant! You are being a petulant, ridiculous child! Rory! Are you even listening to me!?"

"Grandma," Rory sighed and put the phone back to her ear. "I'm not coming back. I'm not living with you anymore and I'm 21 years old, so there's nothing you can do about it. Thank you for all the help that you have given me, I truly do appreciate it, but I don't want it anymore. I wish that you could respect that, but I know that you won't, so there isn't any point to continuing this conversation. Good-bye!" She snapped the phone shut and threw it onto the table.

"You okay?" Jess asked, trying to read the look on her face.

"Yeah," she let out a deep breath. "I'm good. I actually feel a bit better."

"Good."

They sat in silence again, Jess pretending to read his manuscript while he watching Rory fidget- picking her book up and putting it down multiple times, repositioning herself in the chair, refilling her coffee cup and trying to start multiple new books. He let her do her thing, trying not to be too obvious about the fact that he was watching her every move. When the coffee pot was finally empty, she dropped onto the couch and curled up beside him.

"I have to go back to school," she told him. "If I want to work all of this out, I need to go back to school. It's where I belong."

"I know," Jess agreed. "It's your natural habitat. You love school."

"I used to love school," Rory amended. "Before everything happened. I don't know now."

"What don't you know?" Jess asked. "You've always loved school- I've heard the stories of little Rory Gilmore running off to Kindergarten and trying to be three hours early every year. That guy that told you you weren't good enough? He's an idiot. You were born to be a journalist- it's what you've wanted your entire life. Don't let him ruin that for you."

Rory nodded, knowing that he was right.

"What do you have to do to go back?" Jess asked.

"I'm not sure, I would have to call and talk to my Dean and he would arrange it."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Jess picked her phone up off the table and handed it to her. "You don't have to start tomorrow or anything, but it can't hurt to find out _how_ to get back in."

She stared at the phone apprehensively, not sure if she was ready to take that step yet.

"It doesn't have to be _the_ phone call, just _a_ phone call." He encouraged, then poked her in the side adding, "There's nothing to fear but fear itself."

"Okay, that last part was really uninspiring," Rory told him. "But I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Jess agreed.

"Don't get cocky." Rory warned, but took the phone and dialled.

She spent the next hour pacing the apartment, talking to what Jess assumed was the entire Yale faculty. While she paced, he made lunch, then sat on the couch and watched her pace while trying to gauge how well the conversation was going. He had to hand it to her, her poker face had definitely improved. When she finally hung up, she dropped onto the couch beside him and stole a chip from his plate.

"You know there's a whole plate of food sitting on the counter waiting for you," Jess pointed out.

"That's so far away, though!" Rory complained, resting her head on his shoulder.

"So, what did they say?" He prodded as she continued to mooch off his plate.

"I'm re-enrolled for next semester," she admitted.

"Rory, That's awesome!" Jess pulled her into a hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"It means I'll have to go back to New Haven," Rory pointed out, her tone unsure.

"We'll make it work," he promised. "It's where you belong, and I'm not going to be the person to hold you back. And I'm definitely not gonna lose you again."

"Good to know," she smiled.

"When does the next semester start?"

"January 20th."

"Then we have two months of uninterrupted time together."

"I have a lot of stuff to sort out between now and then," Rory sighed.

"You don't have to have everything worked out before you go back to school," Jess pointed out. "You can't put that much pressure on yourself. It takes time- trust me, I know these things."

"I know you do," Rory agreed. "It's just, I want to feel like myself again before I jump back into Yale."

"Yale is you," Jess told her. "You're already moving in the right direction."

Before Rory could answer, her phone started to ring again.

"I kept getting the call waiting beep while I was talking. This is getting ridiculous," she sighed and picked it up.

"Rory, this is your grandfather. I just got off the phone with your grandmother, and she seems to be under the impression that you've moved out."

"Then she would be right," Rory sighed. "I have moved out."

"Don't you think we should have discussed this first?"

"I'm twenty-one years old, Grandpa, I don't need to discuss anything with you if I don't want to and I was only living with you for a short time anyways. I've moved out and that's it. Thank you for your help, I'll talk to you soon." She shut the phone and stormed into the kitchen to get the plate Jess had left for her.

The phone rang again, and Jess decided maybe it was time for somebody else to field a phone call or two, but Rory raced over and grabbed the phone out of his hands.

"It will only make it worse if you answer," she told him. "Hello?"

"Rory, this is ridiculous. You're being ridiculous," Logan informed her, skipping the conventional 'hello'.

"Logan, stop calling. We're broken up."

"No we're not. You can't just throw away a year long relationship over the phone. That's not how it works. I changed for you! You can't just walk out!"

"Actually, I can. I'm a human being with free will and I have every right to end our relationship."

"Your grandparent are worried sick about you, they're calling everyone asking where you are. Where are you?"

"I'm safe," Rory told him. "And that's all anyone needs to know. We're broken up, you need to stop calling."

"Rory, come on!" He pleaded, and she could hear the anger entering his voice. "You're being stupid. Just come home and we can talk about this."

"Logan, I am home. Hartford has never been my home. I don't belong there."

"So, what? You're in Stars Hollow? Fine, I'll come see you."

"No, I'm not in Stars Hollow, and you don't need to go anywhere near it. I'm fine. Stop calling." She hung up before he could continue to tell her how stupid she was.

"This is getting exhausting," she sighed. "And it's only been two days."

"Do you want to go get the number changed?" Jess offered. "It would make cutting ties a whole lot easier."

"There's so much hassle involved with that," she shook her head. "I would have to call every other person I know and give them the new number, plus Yale and my Community Service officer and all their offices-"

"I'll help you," Jess offered. "Besides, you only have to tell one person in Stars Hollow and the rest of the state will have your number."

"Maybe it'll just blow over," she tried to reason. "I'll out it on silent and ignore it until they get bored." She adjusted the ringer, then dropped the offensive contraption on the coffee table amongst the manuscripts. Within minutes, however, it began vibrating again. After half an hour of watching it move across the table, she finally gave in.

"Okay, maybe it won't pass."

"We can go to the mall whenever you're ready," Jess offered, trying not to look too smug.

An hour later they walked through the automatic doors and were assaulted by Christmas carols blaring over the loud speakers.

"God, I forgot that was coming up," Jess cringed.

"You forgot?" Rory stared at him. "How do you forget Christmas?"

"It's just another day for me, other than a short call from Liz and Luke. Other than that," he shrugged. "I'm not a Christmas person, never have been."

"Yes, but this year you have me, and I am one of Santa's elves! I love Christmas!" Rory squealed.

"I know that," Jess grimaced.

"This Christmas is going to be so fun!" she beamed.

She had the same gleam in her eye that she had gotten when her mother had organized the sleigh rides for that stupid old timey dinner, back when he had first moved to Stars Hollow. It was the kind of gleam that only a Gilmore girl could get at the prospect of snow and Christmas cheer.

"Let's just get your phone done and get out of here before you start buying stuff to decorate the apartment," Jess pulled her in the direction of the phone kiosk, away from a display of trees.

"Oh! Can I?" She pleaded, jumping up and down like a five year old. "Please! It would be so fun! We could do it together!"

"Have I ever struck you as a decorating my home for the holidays kind of person?" Jess asked her.

"Well not really, but I know that underneath that James Dean brooding cover, you're all soft and squishy so I think you should help me decorate," she reasoned.

"Stop doing that," Jess scolded when he looked at her face.

"Doing what?"

"You're giving me Rory eyes!"

"It's just my face," she assured him.

"No it's not. Cut it out."

She didn't.

"Fine," he huffed. "I'll think about it."

"Yay!" She squealed and threw her arms around his neck.

"I said think!" He reminded her.

"You caved," she laughed. "Less than a minute, and you caved like a card castle!"

"I did not cave!" Jess argued. "I said maybe."

"Yes, but you and I both know that you won't deny me this in my fragile state. You caved!"

Her smile was so mesmerizing he decided that he would let her turn the entire freaking publishing house into Santa's workshop if it meant she would stay that happy forever.

"Whatever you say, Gilmore." He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her tightly to him, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"You caved," she mumbled happily, hugging his waist.

As soon as her phone was dealt with, Jess pulled her out of the mall before she could run off and start buying Christmas decorations.

"You're no fun!" she whined.

"I'm lots of fun," Jess argued. "There's this really great bookstore down the street that I was going to take you to."

"Really?" she perked up at the mention of books.

"Really. Come on."

It was an independently owned shop, one of the ones that had agreed to carry his book. They had a fantastic selection and really great coffee, which made it one of Jess's favourite places in the city. He got them both a cup, then left Rory to her own devices for a few hours, wandering off to chat with the owner and browse. When he finally found his way back to her, she was sitting on the floor in one of the aisles with a stack of books beside her and a sticky note in her hand.

"What are you doing?" he asked, hovering over her with a fresh cup of coffee.

"I'm putting a recommendation on your book," she smiled. "I finished it a few minutes ago."

"Then you know it's not worth recommending."

"Hush you," she waved him off and went back to scribbling. "I must tell the entire world to read it. It is amazing!"

Once she finished, she stuck the note to his book and put it on a shelf where everyone would be able to see it.

"Okay, are you ready to go?"

"If you are."

"I'm ready," she got to her feet and grabbed the pile of books she had collected.

"Are you physically capable of going into a bookstore and not buying anything?" Jess asked as she paid.

"I don't think so," she shook her head. "Although I've never tried..."

"You have a problem."

"And you don't?" she challenged.

He couldn't argue with that.

"I have to call Yale and give them my new number," Rory mused as they drove back to the apartment, then started rummaging through her purse.

"What are you looking for?" Jess asked, watching her from the corner of his eye.

"I need something to write on."

"Glove compartment," he pointed.

"Huh, aren't you prepared." She remarked, finding a notebook and multiple pens and markers.

"Well, we writers like to keep our implements close just in case inspiration hits," Jess told her.

She opened the book, ripped out a blank page and started scribbling.

"What are you making a list of?" He asked.

"How do you know it's a list?" Rory challenged. "Maybe I've decided to become a poet?"

"You're Rory Gilmore. It's a list."

"It's a list of people to call with my new phone number," Rory frowned at him. "And why don't you think I could be a poet?"

"I don't doubt that you could be a poet. I'm sure you would be a fantastic poet," Jess promised. "I just know you, and you like to make lists. It calms you. It's the closest you will ever willingly get to therapy."

Rory just glared at him.

"So, who's on the list?"

"Yale, Paris, Lane..."

"Lorelai?" Jess asked apprehensively.

"She didn't have my old number," Rory admitted. "I had to change it after I moved out. I lost my phone, and then we had another big argument at Sookie's kids' Christening and she wouldn't take the new one."

"Well, do you think maybe you should give her this one?" Jess asked.

"I don't know. I don't know what to say to her."

Jess nodded, trying to understand where she was coming from. He understood not wanting to talk to your mother, it was his general state of being, he just didn't understand how _Rory_ could feel that way. They were freakishly close- Vulcan mind meld close. The only relationship he had to compare that with was his relationship with Luke, and while they weren't _that_ close, he couldn't imagine getting by without him. Thinking about Luke gave him an idea, though.

"What if I call Luke and give him your phone number?" He suggested. "That way if anything comes up before you're ready to call her, they can get a hold of you."

"No, Luke will tell her where I am," Rory shook her head.

"Well, they haven't called or coming looking for you yet, so..."

"Luke knows where I am?!" She demanded, putting down her pen.

"He's the one storing your car," Jess admitted.

"She's going to find it!" Rory shrieked. "And then she's going to think I'm dead or something!"

"You know what would fix that completely out of left field and slightly insane hypothetical situation?" Jess asked, ignoring her outrage. "If you called and told her where you are."

"Jess, please, just drop it." She sighed and rested her head against the window, ignoring him for the rest of the drive.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

For the next few days Jess avoided the subject of calling Luke or Lorelai, not wanting to make Rory upset again. She was the one that brought it up when they were eating dinner later in the week.

They were in the middle of another argument about Christmas decorations when she stopped mid-sentence and sighed.

"You can call Luke," she conceded.

"Sorry?" Jess asked, confused by the sudden topic change.

"You can call Luke and give him my new number."

"Aah!" Jess nodded. "Okay, I'll give him a call later tonight."

Rory nodded uneasily, but quickly returned to convincing him to put up a Christmas tree.

This was the Rory Gilmore that he had fallen in love with- zero to sixty in .02 seconds. She could go from somber to elated in no time flat, and Jess felt himself biting back a smile. He didn't tell her any of this, though, instead he told her for the twentieth time: "I'm not putting up a Christmas tree!"

"Why not!?" She demanded.

"They're messy and they take up space and they're a fire hazard."

"That's the best you can do?" Rory laughed. "They're a fire hazard?"

"What? They are!" Jess insisted.

"Only if you set them on fire," she countered. "Are you planning on setting them on fire?"

" _Them?_ " Jess demanded.

"It," she amended. "Are you planning on setting _it_ on fire?"

"What if I stumble in drunk one night and try to light a cigarette and set the tree on fire instead?"

"How drunk are you that you mistake the tree for a cigarette?" Rory continued to laugh.

"I'm just saying-"

"You're just being stubborn," she interrupted.

"It's _my_ apartment!" Jess tried.

"Yes, but you asked me to run away with you and now I'm living here too- at least until I go back to school. So I get some say, and I say we get a Christmas tree."

"Uh-huh," Jess nodded pretending to be hanging on her every word.

"So you agree with me?"

"No," he shook his head. "I think you're completely insane, but I'm going to pretend to listen to your argument because I don't think you're in a place where you're emotionally stable enough to hear me say no."

"You're a jerk," she glared. "We're getting a Christmas tree."

"Counter offer: You can put up stockings and mistletoe, and a _picture_ of a Christmas tree on the fridge."

"That's a horrible counter offer! And you're only saying I can put up mistletoe because it benefits you."

"What, you don't benefit from kissing me?" Jess challenged.

"I didn't say that," Rory laughed.

"Because that would be very wrong," he pointed out. "That would be a blatant lie."

"I wouldn't say a _blatant_ lie," she teased.

Jess raised an eyebrow, then reached over and took her plate away.

"Santa doesn't like liars, Rory."

"Hey! I wasn't finished with that," she complained, reaching for the half full dish. "Hey!" She jumped up and tried to stop him, but before she could make another argument, or get her food back, his lips were on hers and he was pushing her back into the couch, and she wasn't hungry for dinner anymore.

They were halfway to the bedroom when he stopped and pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Rory asked breathlessly. "I thought you were trying to make a point?"

"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes full of concern as they pored over her face. "I don't want this to be like last time."

She couldn't help but smile at how sweet he was, then took his face in her hands.

"This is nothing like last time," she promised. "I want this. I want you."

She kissed him, softly at first and then harder, trying to convey how much she really did want this- how much she wanted him. He seemed to believe her, because the next thing she knew he was pulling her into the bedroom again, proving his point in ways that Rory had never imagined.

"Well, whatever happens next, at least we know that part still works," Rory joked later, laying with her head on his chest.

"Better than ever, I think." Jess agreed. "So, mistletoe?"

Rory laughed, and he felt it through his whole body.

"Yes, we can put up mistletoe... but I still want a tree."

"You're impossible!" Jess groaned, his head falling back onto the pillow.

"And yet you like me anyways."

"Love is blindness," Jess remarked.

"I don't know," Rory mumbled. "I think it's opened my eyes to a lot of things."

She pressed a kiss to his shoulder and rolled off of him.

"Where are you going?" Jess asked.

"I want marshmallows." She grabbed his discarded shirt off the floor and threw it over her head before venturing into the kitchen.

"I don't have any!" He called after her.

"How can you not have marshmallows?!" Rory cried, opening and closing cupboard doors.

"Because I'm a normal human being with semi-healthy eating habits!"

"Healthy is so overrated!" she retorted. "And besides, you smoke. That is the complete opposite of healthy."

"I quit," Jess told her. "And even before I did, I only smoked every once in a while."

"When did you quit?" Rory asked, wandering back into the room with a bag of chocolate chips she had found.

"This morning, when I woke up beside you."

"Aww, that's so sweet." She sat back down on the bed and offered him a chocolate chip.

"You're being patronizing," Jess pointed out.

"I'm not! It really is sweet," she assured him.

"But?" Jess prompted.

"But nothing. I'm glad you're quitting."

"You like that I smoke," he smirked.

"No! It's very unhealthy, you shouldn't smoke... I'm just used to it," she admitted. "Your clothes always smelled like smoke and books, it's comforting. Happy?"

"Very," he smirked and pulled her back into his side.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," she accused.

"I'm perfectly okay with that."

She laughed and leaned into him, taking comfort in the feeling of his arms around her. She couldn't help but feel perfectly content and at home- something she had never really felt when she was with Logan. Before she knew it she had fallen asleep, wrapped in his arms with the bag of chocolate chips still in her hand.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When he woke up the next morning, Jess disentangled himself and snuck into the other room to call Luke. Unfortunately, it was Lorelai that answered the phone. _Crap!_

"Hi, uh, is Luke there?" He asked, aware of how stupid he sounded, suddenly feeling like he was 17 again, calling for Rory.

"No, sorry. Who is this?" Lorelai asked.

"It's Jess."

"Oh." He could almost feel her disdain through the phone. "Well, he's downstairs with Pepperpot. I can go get him if you want."

"No, that's okay. I'll just call down there. Thanks." He hung up, cursing himself for how awkward that conversation had just been, then dialled the number for the diner.

"Luke's!"

"Hey, Luke. It's me."

"Jess, hey! I'm just finishing up with my meat guy. Give me one minute."

"Take your time."

Jess stuck his head into the bedroom to make sure Rory was still sleeping, then closed the door so he wouldn't wake her.

"Okay, I'm here," Luke's voice came through the phone again. "What's up?"

"Rory got a new phone number, and she didn't want to give it to Lorelai, but I convinced her to give it to you in case of some sort of emergency."

"Okay," he heard Luke rummaging- presumably for a piece of paper. "Alright, go ahead."

Jess recited the number, then listened to him say it back.

"Yeah, that's it."

"Okay, I'll put it on my desk," Luke promised. There was a pause, then he spoke again. "How's she doing?"

"She's okay," Jess shrugged. "She's trying to put it all back together and I'm trying to just let her do whatever she feels like she needs to do, but I don't really know where her head is right now. I'm working on it, though. She's gonna be okay."

Jess wasn't entirely sure whether or not he was saying it to himself or Luke. He was too busy talking to realize that she had opened the bedroom door and was leaning against the doorjamb listening.

"Is she there?" Luke asked.

"She's still sleeping, why?"

"I was just wondering if she would talk to me," he mused. "She's called and come into the diner a couple times since this thing with Lorelai started, I just didn't know if she would again."

"I don't know," Jess admitted. "I've been getting the impression she's not ready to talk to you guys yet. She wants to have things back to normal first."

"We don't care about that. We just want to help," Luke told him, his tone similar to the one he used to use on Jess.

"I know, I just think she wants to do this herself. But I'll tell her what you said."

"Alright, thanks Jess. I've got to go. Take care, both of you."

"We will," Jess promised. "Bye, Luke."

He hung up and jumped when he saw Rory leaning against the door frame, watching him.

"Hey, what are you doing up?"

"I woke up and you weren't there, so I came to find you. What was Luke saying?"

"Just that he hopes you're ready to come home soon and that if you need anything to call him. He's worried about you."

"He wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah, he thought you might be willing to talk to him, even if you aren't ready to talk to Lorelai yet."

Rory nodded, chewing on her lip.

"He just wants to help," Jess shrugged.

"I know," she smiled sadly. "I just don't think he can fix this."

"No, but we both know he's pretty handy. Maybe he could help."

She didn't look convinced, but nodded anyways and went to get a cup of coffee.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Jess asked, filling his own cup.

"Pop tarts."

"Seriously? I can make you anything at all, and you want pop tarts?"

"I want for the simple things in life," Rory shrugged. "Can you put one in the toaster for me?"

"Fine," Jess sighed. "Do you have any plans for today?"

"I'm going to update my resume and start sending it out," she admitted quietly.

"That's awesome, Ror! Where?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Everywhere. I just need to find a job, get my foot back through the door and start working again. That's the next step."

"Okay," Jess handed her her pop tart. "Let me know if you need any help."

Rory nodded her thanks and started setting up her laptop and notebook at the kitchen table.

Jess left her to her own devices, deciding to work downstairs for the morning.

"How are you guys doing?" Chris asked as they proof-read articles for the monthly zine.

"We're okay," Jess shrugged. "She's got a lot of stuff to work out, she was in a pretty bad place when I picked her up, but we're doing okay. I think we're really gonna make it this time."

"In all the time you two have spent dancing around this, has it never occurred to you that you just might not be right for each other?" Chris asked.

"No," Jess shook his head. "I've known she was the one since we were seventeen. We've just never been in the right place before. She was ready and I ran away, and then I thought I was ready and she ran away. We've always been running in different directions, and now we're finally in the same place and I really think everything is going to work out this time."

Chris just stared at him.

"What?" Jess asked.

"I've just never seen you this happy before. You really love her."

"Yeah, I do." Jess smirked and went back to his work, not wanting to get too touchy-feely.

"I'm happy for you, man."

"Thanks," Jess nodded.

Before their awkward bonding moment could continue, Rory came flying down the stairs with her laptop in hand, her eyes full of panic.

"Jess!" She yelled.

"Rory!" He copied.

"I'm out of references! I don't know who to list! What the hell am I going to do?" She panicked. "How am I supposed to get a job if I don't have references? I dropped out of Yale! Nobody's going to give me a job if I don't have references! They'll think I'm just one of those rich Yale kids that thinks the whole world revolves around them and it'll be just like when I went to court and everything is going to fall apart!"

"Okay, Rory, take a breath." Jess took the computer from her and set it down on the desk, then got her to sit down.

"How many more references do you need?"

"Preferably two, but one will do."

"Okay, well who do you have so far?"

"My dean at Yale, Michel and Andrew from the bookstore."

"That sounds pretty well-rounded to me," Jess said. "What do you think is missing?"

"I don't know, it's just a feeling!" She cried, running her hands through her hair. "There's something missing! I can feel it."

"Okay, okay." Jess put his hands up to try and calm her down before she completely freaked out. "What about someone from the Yale paper? That way you'll have a personal reference, two generally professional references and one newspaper specific one."

"OH!" She screamed and jumped back up. "I know who to call!"

She grabbed her computer and tore back up the stairs before Jess could get another word in.

"Okay, have fun!" He called after her, then turned back to his own work, completely unfazed.

"Why do you look so happy?" Chris asked, seeing the grin on his face. "That was terrifying. Is she always that crazy?"

"Yeah, she is."

"And that's why you're smiling?"

"That was the girl I fell in love with," he grinned. "She's going to be okay."

"Whatever you say, man," Chris laughed. "As long as you're happy."

Jess wandered back upstairs an hour or two later with the intention of making lunch and found Rory sitting on the floor, an open box of mallow mars beside her.

"Where did you get those?" He demanded, completely sure that they had not been in his cupboard.

"They were in my computer bag."

"Why did you have- you know what, no, I don't want to know." He shook his head and walked past her, into the kitchen.

She could see him cooking out of the corner of her eye, but she had more important things to focus on at the moment. She had a list of every paper within a train ride's distance from Yale, as well as every online paper between there and Philadelphia, and was sending each and every one of them her resume. She was in the middle of her fourteenth email when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Rory Gilmore please," a male voice came from the other end of the line.

"This is Rory Gilmore."

"Rory, this is Stewart Woltz from the Stamford Eagle Gazette."

"Mr. Woltz! Thank you so much for calling me back."

"No problem. Listen I got your message and of course I'll be happy to give you a reference," he told her. "I don't know what happened between you and Mitchum, but I think you're a sharp kid with a lot going for you and anyone would be lucky to have you."

"Thank you, so much," Rory beamed.

"I doubt this will shock you, but you're not the only one who couldn't get along with Herr Huntzberger, it's a pretty big club. You should just ignore everything he says."

"I plan on doing just that," she assured him.

"Okay, well, just have anyone you want call me and I'll be sure to sing your praises. I wish I could hire you myself, but I don't have any openings."

"That's okay, the reference will be plenty. Thank you so much!"

"Good luck, Rory. I expect to hear big things about you one day."

"I promise not to let you down. Good-bye Mr. Woltz." She hung up and jumped up off the floor. "YES!"

"Good news?" Jess asked.

She hurried over and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I have officially got all my references in order!" She beamed. "Which is awesome, since I've already sent out a million resumes."

"Well then, you must be hungry after all that hard work." He put a grilled cheese on a plate and handed it to her. "Eat some real food."

"You're such a good provider!" She kissed him and took the sandwich back to her computer. "But I don't know what you're talking about. Mallow mars are real food. You've got your dairy, your carbs, your marshmallow- it's a total food pyramid."

"You're insane," Jess told her.

"Only to the outside world," she assured him. "What were you and... Chris?" She tried hesitantly.

"Yes, Chris," he encouraged.

"What were you and Chris doing?"

"Proofreading the articles for the zine. Do you want to give us a hand?" He offered.

"I don't want to get in the way, I'm sure you guys have a system."

"Not really," Jess shook his head. "You don't have to if you don't want to, though."

"No, I can help," she agreed. "I want to help."

"Okay. Finish your lunch and we can go back downstairs."

They spent the rest of that afternoon proof-reading and rewriting articles, and Rory couldn't help but notice that she was the happiest she had been since leaving Yale. They had drinks with Matt and Chris again that night, and for a moment Rory got the nagging feeling that nothing had really changed and she had fallen back into the same old relationship, but they talked about work while they sat at the bar and Jess stopped drinking after two beers, and they were all back home before midnight. She had forgotten that you could go out and have a good time without having to go on a bender or wait until last calls to stumble home. It was nice.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

She spent the next week helping out around the house, proof-reading manuscripts and planning the open house they had coming up. If one good thing had come from her time in Emily Gilmore's house, it was that she could now plan a fantastic party.

"Never leave us!" Matt begged when she finally got his poet to agree not to debut new material and found a caterer that didn't cost more than their mortgage.

"She has to leave one day," Jess reminded him.

"Why? You could come work with us! You're so good at it! You could replace Jess," he offered.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, Matt," Rory laughed. "But Jess is right, I do have to go back to school one of these days and I really need Jess to keep this job."

"We could keep him on as the cleaning lady," Chris offered.

"Where is your loyalty?!" Jess demanded of his housemates.

"Sorry, but she's a lot prettier than you are," Matt shrugged. "And better at dealing with people. Did you hear how she charmed that caterer?"

"I heard," Jess conceded. "I still think you should remain loyal to your friends and stop trying to replace me with my girlfriend."

"Oh, don't worry," Rory pouted at him. "They still like you. They just like me more."

She beamed at him and skipped up the stairs, Jess chasing after her.

"Wear protection!" Matt called after them, earning him a middle finger from Jess right before he disappeared up the stairs.

"I have to tell you something," Rory said quietly when they were lying in bed later that night, her head resting on his chest.

"Okay... what?" Jess asked, slightly suspicious.

"I need you to not be mad about it," she continued.

"I won't be mad. What's wrong?" Jess was getting a little worried.

"No, you will be mad." She rolled off of him and sat up. "I just desperately need you not to be mad enough to kick me out or anything. Promise?"

"Rory, I promise, there is nothing you could do that would make me that mad. What is it?"

"I slept with Dean," she said quietly, refusing to look at him. "That was when everything started."

Jess clenched his fists, fighting the urge to jump out of bed and start throwing things, knowing that if he did that she would run.

"Everything was falling apart with school and I felt like a failure," she rushed to explain. "And suddenly he was there again and he was sweet and he cared about how I was feeling. I was falling apart, and he was just kind of there. I've regretted it ever since, but it happened."

"When?" Jess asked, trying not to sound too harsh.

"The weekend the Dragonfly opened."

"After I ambushed you."

She suddenly realized that he wasn't mad at her- he was mad at himself.

"Jess, it wasn't because of that. I was just so stressed with all the pressure from school and everything was so screwed up and it just happened." She finally turned around and looked at him, begging him to believe her.

"And I had just begged you to run away with me," Jess sighed. "I know you, Rory. I know how your brain works and I know that that must have messed you up a lot, and I'm never going to be able to forgive myself for that-"

"Jess, it wasn't your fault," she interrupted, tears in her eyes. "Yes, it was hard for me to say no to you. And yes, it had some affect on what happened, but there were a lot of other factors involved. It wasn't your fault. Please, please listen to me when I say that."

She was holding his face in her hands as she spoke and he finally nodded. She stared at him for a few more seconds, making sure he really did believe her, then laid back down with her head on his chest. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, locking his arms around her waist.

"He left his wife for me," she said quietly. "And we were together for a while, but it was a mess from the start. It was a bad relationship, and I knew it, but I didn't want to let go. It was something familiar when everything else was changing."

She hadn't planned on telling him everything, she had just needed to get the whole Dean thing off her chest, but now that she had started she couldn't stop and everything was pouring out.

"My grandparents didn't like him- they never did. I actually think they liked him less than they liked you," she tried to joke.

Jess smiled softly at her, biting back an ignorant farm boy comment.

"They threw this party, full of eligible Yale bachelors to try and get me a good boyfriend. I had met Logan already- I did a story about this stupid skull and crossbones society he's in- and he was at the party, and it was so boring so we started a sub-party in the pool house with all his friends. Dean was supposed to be picking me up, and when I stumbled out to meet him in my fancy party dress and tiara, with all the guys behind me he seemed to realize that he didn't belong with me anymore. He left me there, crying and begging him to stay, and Logan took me back into the pool house with the guys and they made me feel better. And then I was hanging out with them all the time, and it was fun. We went out partying and drinking, and we were riding around in limos and I felt like I was living the life I had always been meant to live, even though I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that it was wrong. And I just fell into that rut, and I was stuck trying to convince myself I was happy."

She had started to cry, but elected to ignore it and kept talking. She needed to get this off her chest, and if she didn't tell Jess now, she didn't know if she would be able work up the nerve to talk about it again.

"Logan and I were casual for a while, and he was still sleeping around and I was pretending that it was okay, and then I got drunk on Founder's Day Punch-"

"You drank Founder's Day Punch?" Jess interrupted, completely shocked.

"I was in a bad place," she choked out a half sob, half laugh.

"Okay, okay. Keep going," Jess encouraged.

"I got drunk on Founder's Day Punch and ended up lying on the bathroom floor with my mom holding my hair, sobbing about why he didn't like me and why didn't he call me."

Even thinking about her like that made Jess sick to his stomach, and completely enraged at the dick that had put her in that position.

"The next morning, I went back to Yale and told him that I couldn't do it anymore- I wasn't a casual dater. I figured that would be it, he would say okay and we would be done, but he didn't. He decided to be my boyfriend, and that night we went to his parent's for dinner. They ambushed me, said I wasn't good enough to be in their family- not that there was any reason to think I was going to be marrying into their family, but whatever. They said I wasn't good enough because I wasn't part of their world- I had grown up outside the rich and privileged bubble and I was going to work for a living. Logan was really good about it, he stormed out and told them all how ridiculous they were being, but I think somewhere in the back of his mind, he agreed with them." She stopped for a minute and took a couple breaths. "It was after that when Mitchum offered me the internship- obviously trying to make nice after what his wife had said so that my grandparents didn't make it into a big thing. And then he crushed all my dreams and told me that I would be a great personal assistant one day, so I stole a boat and screwed everything up even more."

She finished and let out a deep breath, wiping the tears off her face.

"I screwed everything up," she whispered.

"You didn't," Jess shook his head. "You made some mistakes, you got a little lost, that's okay. You're allowed to get a little lost- we all get a little lost sometimes. I grew up lost. What matters now is that you're not letting that rule your life. You're not lost anymore."

Her head was still resting on his chest, and she felt each word vibrating through his body, letting them sink in. It was like he was etching them into her skin, and suddenly she believed him. Believed every word that came out of his mouth, and things started to make sense. She believed that she was on the right track and that she was doing what she was supposed to be doing.

"I need to go home," she sat up suddenly.

"Okay," Jess nodded.

"No, I _need_ to go home!" She got up and started grabbing clothes of the floor, pulling them on haphazardly, half of them not even hers.

"Rory, what are you- you mean right now?" Jess asked, getting up and trying to get her to stop for a second. "Rory, stop. Stop moving!"

She froze momentarily and looked at him.

"Rory, it's the middle of the night."

"I need to go home," she pleaded.

"Okay," Jess nodded. "You can go home. I'll take you home. But why don't you take a minute and catch your breath."

"Jess, please," she stared into his eyes and somehow he understood her desperation. "I need to go home. I need to go home _now_."

"Okay," He nodded. "Okay. Let's go home."

She beamed and flung herself into his arms.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Get dressed," Jess laughed. "Maybe with your bra on the inside... and not in my shirt."

Rory looked down at the clothes she had put on in her panicked frenzy and laughed.

"What, didn't you hear? This is how all the cool kids dress!"

"It's a good thing you were never one of the cool kids then," Jess laughed. "Do you want me to pack up your stuff?"

"Not all of it."

Jess couldn't help but smile- she wasn't leaving. She was planning on coming back.

"Can you just pack up my laptop and a couple books?"

"Sure," Jess nodded and grabbed a bag out of the closet, then left her to get dressed.

"And maybe some clothes!" She called after him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

They were on the road by one in the morning, which meant they would be in Stars Hollow before five, but that obviously didn't matter to Rory. She was wired. He couldn't tell if she was nervous or excited, maybe a little bit of both, either way she didn't stop moving the whole drive. She wouldn't stop talking, couldn't settle on a song for more than a minute and couldn't find a single book to hold her attention. Jess wasn't complaining though, he was just glad that she was happy- or at least she would be soon.

They pulled up in front of Lorelai's house around 4:30 in the morning, and Rory finally fell silent.

"Rory?" Jess put a hand on her knee.

"What if we made a mistake?" She asked quietly. "What if she doesn't want to see me? What if she hates me?"

"Rory, she doesn't hate you. She's your mom and she loves you. She's going to be thrilled to see you."

She sat staring at the door for a couple more minutes then nodded, took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping out of the car. Jess followed suit and took her hand, leading her up onto the porch.

"Do you want to ring the bell, or should I?" He asked, and Rory thought of how many years her mother had spent asking that question on the Gilmore's doorstep. She had never imagined someone would be asking her that question in front of her own house. She squeezed Jess' hand, trying to steal some courage from him, then reached forward and rang the bell. They waited for a few minutes, and when nobody came Jess knocked. There was muffled yelling from inside, and Rory felt another jolt of panic run through her. She turned and started to walk away, but Jess grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Jess-" she started to argue, but before she could say another word the door flew open.

"Do you have any idea what time it-" Luke started to yell, but stopped short when he saw her. "Rory?"

"Hi Luke." she waved nervously, chewing on her lip and standing a little bit behind Jess.

"Rory." He said her name again as if he couldn't believe she was there, like he thought it was all a dream.

"Who the hell is at the door?!" Lorelai yelled, stumbling downstairs. "Who the hell shows up at people's houses at 4:30 in the morning? We need our beauty sleep in this house! This is not an early riser househo-"

She stopped short when she reached the entryway, not believing what was in front of her.

Rory, her darling baby Rory... and Jess. Jess was of less concern to her at that moment, though. What mattered was that her daughter- who she hadn't spoken to in months- was standing on her porch.

"Rory," she gasped. "Rory." It was like she couldn't breath, like all the air had been sucked from her lungs.

Rory stared at the ground, even more terrified than she had been in the car.

 _Why is nobody saying anything_? She thought desperately, reaching back and taking Jess's hand again.

"Hi, Mom," she finally squeaked out.

And then Lorelai was rushing forward, past Luke and onto the porch and pulling Rory into a hug.

"You're home!" She started to sob. "You're home, you're okay! Oh, Rory!"

And then Rory was crying too, sobbing about how sorry she was, while Jess and Luke stood back and watched. A few minutes in, Luke stepped forward and put a hand on Lorelai's shoulder.

"Why don't we take this inside?" He suggested.

"Yeah, yeah, okay." Lorelai nodded and wiped her eyes. "Let's go inside."

She wrapped an arm around Rory, who was still crying and lead her through the door, Jess following behind them.

"I'll go make some coffee," Luke offered.

"I'll give you a hand." Jess volunteered, following Luke into the kitchen.

"How did you get her to come home?" Luke asked once they were out of earshot.

"I didn't," Jess shook his head. "She told me what happened- all of it. From what she did with Dean, all the way to stealing a boat and dropping out of school. And then she was jumping up and panicking and saying that she had to go home, so we drove back here. She got here all by herself."

Luke nodded along, then sighed and dropped into a chair to wait for the coffee to brew.

"She was the closest thing I had to a daughter for a really long time," Luke sighed. "She's almost my step-daughter, but I never thought I'd be this relieved to see her home safe."

"She's gonna be okay," Jess promised. "She's here now, she has Lorelai. It's smooth sailing from here, compared to the few months at least... what do you mean _was_?"

"I have a daughter," Luke admitted.

"What?" Jess stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. Of all the bombs that had been dropped on him in the last two weeks, from Rory finally wanting to be with him to finding out she had stolen a boat and dropped out of Yale, this was the biggest.

"I have a daughter," Luke repeated. "She's twelve. She was looking for her father for a science fair project and I was the winner. Her name is April."

Jess could tell that this was still fresh, Luke kept phrasing everything as a question.

"Wow."

"Yeah," Luke nodded.

"What did Lorelai say?"

"I haven't told her yet," Luke admitted. "She's been so upset about everything with Rory, I didn't want to add to it."

"You are going to tell her, though, right?" Jess asked.

"Of course I'm going to tell her!"

"I'm just saying, you have a habit of not telling people important things. Remember how long it took you to admit you were in love with Lorelai?"

"This is different," Luke assured him. "We're engaged now. We don't keep things like this from each other... and you know what, this isn't the problem right now. Right now, we're focusing on the fact that Rory is home and everything can go back to normal."

"If you say so," Jess shrugged.

Luke got up and filled everybody's cups with coffee, then handed two to Jess and lead him into the living room. Rory and Lorelai were sitting on the couch, still crying and apologizing to each other. Jess handed Rory her coffee and sat down in a chair beside her, Luke following suit.

"God, I'm just so glad you're home!" Lorelai finally sighed, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Me too," Rory agreed. "I missed you."

"I missed you more," Lorelai assured her. "God, I have so much I have to tell you, but first you need to explain what the hoodlum is doing here."

Rory wiped her eyes and let out a small laugh.

"Jess came to visit me back in Hartford a couple weeks ago," Rory explained. "He called me out on... well, everything. I realized what I had become, what I had done- what Logan had convinced me was okay."

"Oh, Rory," Lorelai took her hand again.

"No, it was good. I wouldn't be sitting here if it weren't for Jess."

"And you guys are... together now?" Lorelai asked, fighting the urge to cringe.

"Yeah," Rory reached over and took his hand. She was going to continue, to assure her mother that this was right and perfect and that they were going to be good this time, but she was distracted when something small and furry came running into the room.

"Oh my God!" She screamed and pulled her feet off the floor. "What is that?!"

"That's Paul Anka," Lorelai beamed.

"What?"

"She got a dog," Luke elaborated.

"You let her get a dog!" Rory glared at him. "You banned us from getting pets when I was 12!"

"She just brought it home one day," Luke shrugged.

Paul Anka jumped onto the table and sat down, staring at her.

"Shoo, shoo!" Rory waved, trying to get him to jump down.

"What are you doing?" Lorelai demanded.

"He shouldn't be on the table."

"That's his favourite spot!" Lorelai gasped. "What are you gonna do next, tell him he can't drink out of my water glass?"

"I'm sorry," Rory stared at the dog still unsure what to make of the situation.

They sat quietly for a few minutes, then Luke got to his feet.

"Okay, I'm going to go to the diner and get us lots and lots of food, since there's absolutely nothing to eat in this house." He stopped in front of Rory and pulled her to her feet and into a hug.

"I'm really glad you're home," he told her.

"Thank you," she hugged him back. "I heard what you told Jess. Thank you."

She held on for a few more seconds, then sat back down. Jess went to follow him, but she reached over and grabbed him.

"Stay. Please?" She asked.

"Okay." He sat back down.

Once Luke was gone, Lorelai started to push.

"Okay, I know we just made up and I don't want to ruin anything, but..."

"I'm in love with him," Rory blurted out. "Mom, I'm in love with Jess, and he's in love with me and we were meant to be together. Just like you and Luke are meant to be together, and we've been dancing around it for years, always moving in different directions. We're finally in the same spot. We're finally good." She had tears in her eyes as she spoke, trying to convince her mom that what she was saying was true, begging her to understand.

"Without Jess, I wouldn't be here. I would never have left Logan, I would have become a society wife. I would have hated myself for the rest of my life. Jess saved me, and this time we're gonna be okay. This is the right time. We're going to make it this time."

Lorelai listened carefully while she spoke, her face not showing any emotion. When Rory finally finished, she turned and glared at Jess.

"Do you have anything to add?"

"I'm not going to screw it up this time," he promised. "I'm ready for this, for Rory. It's going to be like last time."

"Which 'last time' are we talking about?" Lorelai asked. "The last time you showed up and told her you loved her or the last time you dated?"

"It's not going to be like any of those times," Jess promised.

Something in his tone must have convinced her, because she nodded and let it go.

"So you've been with him for the last few weeks?" She asked.

"Yeah. I've been living with Jess in Philadelphia."

"Philadelphia?" Lorelai asked. "Last I heard you were in New York."

"I got a job with a publishing house in Philly," Jess explained.

"Grandpa called after you left. He said you had disappeared, packed up some of your stuff and left in the middle of the night, and then Mom disappeared and tried to buy a plane because she was so mad. And then your phone was disconnected."

"They wouldn't stop calling," Rory explained. "And Logan wouldn't stop calling. And I realized they can't be a part of my life. I can't let them be a part of my life," she bit back tears. "I screwed up so bad, and they didn't stop me. So I changed my number. When I left Grandma's I took everything I needed."

"She said you left a bunch of stuff behind," Lorelai pointed out.

"I left behind everything her and Grandpa bought me. Everything that tied me to them, to that house, to Logan. I don't need it anymore. The girl that lived in that house isn't me. She's the exact opposite of everything I ever wanted to be. So I left her behind, and I ran away with the person who knows me best in the world and tried to find myself again."

"Oh, Honey!" Lorelai pulled her into another hug and held her while she cried.

"I screwed up so much," she sobbed again. "I ruined everything and they didn't stop me. They helped me throw my life away, so I had to leave. I had to go."

"I know, I know, Baby." Lorelai rubbed her back, tears filling her eyes again. "I know. I get it. We never have to go back there again. You're gonna be okay now. Everything's gonna be okay."

"I'm going back to Yale," Rory choked out and Jess saw Lorelai let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Rory!" She beamed. "You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay."

She kept repeating it, like some sort of mantra for them to hold onto.

"You're gonna be okay."

"Grandma tried to buy a plane?" Rory suddenly asked, causing her mother to laugh and start explaining what had happened after she and Jess had run off.

By the time Luke got back with the food the crying had pretty much stopped, and Lorelai had pulled out a hat box full of things she had written down to tell her and was reading them out one by one. Half of them were complete gibberish, but that didn't seem to matter to either of them. By the time Lorelai had to get ready for work they had made it through all the notes in the box, finished all the food and had two more crying sessions.

"Come check out my new digs!" Lorelai instructed when she finally had to get ready, pulling Rory up the stairs with her.

"I'll just be in your room," Jess called after them.

"Okay," Rory laughed and followed her mother. "Holy crap!" she gasped, staring at the room that was now at the top of the stairs. "It's huge!"

"Wait until you see the bathroom," Lorelai beamed.

"Oh my God!" Rory swooned. "I want to live in here!"

"I know, right?!" Lorelai stared around the room happily, then focused on her daughter. "It's really good to have you home, kid."

"It's really good to be home." Rory smiled back, then stifled a yawn.

"Hey, you must be exhausted!" Lorelai suddenly realized. "You should go get some sleep."

"I'm fine." Rory waved her off, but couldn't keep dawn the next yawn.

"No, you're not," Lorelai scolded. "Go, get some sleep. You can meet me at the Inn for lunch."

"Fine," Rory huffed and gave Lorelai a hug.

"Sleep tight, babe." Lorelai kissed her forehead, then pushed her towards the door.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Jess was sitting reading a book when she walked into her room.

"Hey," he looked up at her. "Lorelai leave for work yet?"

"In a minute. She was showing me her fancy new bathroom."

"What is it with girls and bathrooms?" Jess asked. "When Liz and TJ did theirs she called and gushed about it for an hour!"

"I don't know," Rory yawned. "We just like them. We spend a lot of time in them putting on make-up and gossiping about men." She sat down on his lap and put her head on his shoulder.

"Tired?" he asked, smirking down at her.

"No," she shook her head, but her eyes were closed.

"Rory?" He hummed her name.

"Hmm?"

"Don't you think you'd be more comfortable in bed?"

"I'm good," she assured him.

"Okay." He laughed softly and brushed the hair from her face. He waited until her breathing evened out, then got up and carried her over to the bed, laying her down gently.

"What are you doing?" She asked, waking slightly.

"Nothing, go back to sleep." He tucked her under the blankets and started to walk away.

"No," she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just going to go take a nap on the couch," he told her. "I'll be right outside." He tried to pull away, but she held onto him and tugged back.

"No, stay." She tugged on his hand, then moved over to make room for him.

"Rory-" he started to argue, but she pulled harder.

"Please," she asked again.

"Okay." He sighed and crawled into bed beside her, letting her curl into his side and rest her head on his chest.

"Thank you," she mumbled into his shirt.

"Go to sleep," he whispered, stroking her hair.

"Okay." She nodded, and seconds later she was out cold.

Jess slept too, but woke up before her. He wanted Rory to sleep as long as she could, so he slipped out of bed and picked up a book- The Fountainhead. He figured if he and Rory were going to make it this time, he should give it one more chance. He was a couple hundred pages in when she started to wake up.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he joked. "Can I just tell you that this woman is certifiable?"

"You're reading it again?" Rory smiled sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, when I started it seemed like a good idea. Now, I just can't seem to stop- it's like watching a car crash happen."

"Seriously?" Rory frowned at him.

"Has your opinion of Hemingway changed?" Jess challenged.

"Fair point," Rory shrugged and got up. "What time is it?"

"Um... 12:30," he looked at his watch.

"Crap! We're supposed to be meeting my mom for lunch!"

"Okay, it's lunchtime now," Jess observed. "Get ready and we can go."

"Just give me a minute to brush my hair," she hurried out of the room.

Lorelai was waiting for them when they pulled up.

"Come on, come on, come on!" She waved impatiently, then dragged them inside, coming to an abrupt stop outside the kitchen.

"Wait here," she instructed before disappearing inside. There was the muffled sound of voices and then Lorelai yelled "Okay!"

Jess raised an eyebrow, but Rory just shrugged and led him inside.

"Rory!" Sookie screamed and threw the bowl she had been holding. "You're home!" She started to breathe heavily, babbling about Thanksgiving and thinking about Rory and her wishes coming true.

"Are you okay?" Lorelai asked, watching Sookie concernedly.

"Do you need a paper bag?" Rory added.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just hyperventilating," she wheezed still beaming from ear to ear. As she was trying to catch her breath, Michel wandered in to get some coffee.

"RORY!" He grinned at her.

"Oh! Hi, Michel," Rory smiled, surprised by his exuberant welcome.

"I had no idea you missed her that much," Lorelai bit back a smirk.

"She just surprised me," he tried to explain. "But I am very glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be back."

"Lunch!" Sookie suddenly screamed. "I'm making you lunch!"

"What a surprise," Jess mumbled. Rory elbowed him in the ribs and Sookie suddenly seemed to notice he was there.

"Why don't you guys go sit down?" Lorelai suggested. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Sure." Rory nodded and took Jess's hand, leading him into the dining room.

"Are they going to whisper about how much they hate me?" Jess asked once they were out of earshot.

"Oh, they're not going to whisper," Rory smirked at him.

"Awesome." His voice dripped with sarcasm and Rory's smirk softened into a smile.

"They'll adjust," she assured him. "Soon they'll love you almost as much as I do."

"You always were the optimist," Jess sighed.

"The hoper of far flung hopes," she grinned. "And I'm almost always right, so shut up."

Lorelai joined them a few minutes later, followed by an army of waiters carrying piles of food.

"Am I the only one having deja vu here?" Jess asked.

"I grew up with this," Rory laughed. "From Sookie _and_ Luke. It means she likes you."

"Exactly," Lorelai agreed. "Dig in."

While they ate, Lorelai continued to fill Rory in on everything she had missed.

"Oh!" She remembered as the third wave of food arrived. "Your dad called the other day."

"Oh?" Rory raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he left me a message, which Luke heard- leading to a huge argument. But we're good now, and your dad and I are having lunch tomorrow."

"Did he say what it was about?" Rory asked. "Good or bad?"

"No, he just said he had some news and he needed to talk," Lorelai shrugged.

"It's a 50/50 chance with Dad," Rory reasoned.

"I know," her mom agreed. "But let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it's about Gigi- maybe she's a child protege! Maybe he's inviting us to her debut at Carnegie hall!"

"On what instrument?"

"Flugellhorn?" Lorelai shrugged.

"She's 3," Rory pointed out. "I think we would have read about it in the paper by now."

"Well, I'm out then," Lorelai sighed. "We'll just have to wait and see... So, how long are you guys staying?"

"For a while," Rory assured her.

"So you'll be here for Thanksgiving dinner?"

"Definitely."

"Okay," Lorelai grinned. "We're having it here this year, Sookie's cooking."

"Not Luke?" Rory looked a little disappointed.

"No, but I'm sure he'll try to help Sookie until she tries to murder him with a turkey baster. Are you planning on staying after Thanksgiving?"

"For a little bit," Rory looked at Jess and he nodded.

"Okay, because Luke and I were talking and we were thinking you could stay in the apartment above the diner while you're here- not that I don't love having you at the house, but we figured you might want some privacy."

"But that's Luke's house," Rory shook her head.

"He's hardly ever there anymore," Lorelai waved her off.

"That would be great," Jess agreed, cutting off any further arguments Rory could make. "Thanks."

"Fantastic!" Lorelai clapped her hands together, bringing the subject to a close. "Just go see Luke when you leave and he'll get you all settled in. Jess, you still have a key, right?"

"Unless he's changed the locks."

By the time they got to the diner, Luke had already cleaned up the apartment and gotten Jess's old room set up again- although Rory noticed the bed had gotten bigger since she had last been there, which she assumed was her mother's doing.

"You guys know where everything is," Luke shrugged. "If you need anything I'm downstairs. Jess, your mom is going to be here cooking her Thanksgiving dinner. She says she's doing it at her house, but something is going to go wrong and she'll end up here so you might want to avoid the place on Thursday. I'll clean up after her, don't worry."

"Okay, thanks for the warning."

"Alright, well, I gotta go back downstairs. See you later." He gave an awkward wave, then left them alone.

"I feel like he's going to unexpectedly show up again at any second looking for a case of mustard," Rory admitted after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah, it is a little deja vu-ish," Jess agreed, dropping onto the couch and pulling a book out of his pocket. "The difference being that we're adults now and we can lock the door."

"Very true," Rory agreed.

"What do you think he would do if we put a sock on the door?" Jess asked, an evil smirk on his face.

"I think there's a very good chance he would have an aneurysm," Rory scolded, laying down and putting her head in his lap. Jess instinctively started stroking her hair.

"Are you going to have Thanksgiving with your mom?" Rory asked, her eyes closed.

"Nah, we're not really a holiday family. She's cooking for her renaissance fair friends. I figured I would have dinner with you and Luke, like usual."

"You did that once," Rory pointed out, smiling at him. "But okay."

"Are you tired?" Jess asked, noticing that she was falling asleep again.

"No," she lied.

"Are you sure?" He prodded. "Because you've had a pretty exhausting day, and it would be understandable."

"I'm not tired. I'm just resting my eyes for a minute."

"Okay." Jess let her be, picked up a book and kept stroking her hair as he read.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Babette showed up first- not that Luke was surprised. She had been the one to figure it out in the first place, running through the town in a panic, and now she was doing it again.

"Luke!" She screamed, running into the diner almost as soon as he had opened it. "Luke!"

"What, Babette?"

"I saw-" she panted. "I saw a car in front of the house, and I think I saw Rory and someone else- a man. Is it- is it Rory? Is she back?"

"Yes, Babette. It was Rory," Luke confirmed. "Are you gonna order something?"

"And the boy- I _did_ see a boy, right? Who was it?" She pried, ignoring Luke's question.

"Babette, either order or get out." Luke growled, not about to get blamed for blowing the whistle on Rory and Jess.

"I gotta go tell Patty!" She cried, then ran back out the door and headed up the street.

Luke was asked the same question over and over again for the rest of the day- who was here with Rory?- but he wasn't going to be the rat. Jess was smart, he had come in the back door to get into the apartment and nobody had seen them, but Stars Hollow was Stars Hollow and if they wanted to find out something, they would. Rory and Jess obviously knew this too, because they came downstairs and sat at a table for dinner instead of cooking for themselves or sneaking in take-out. Lorelai joined them, and Luke sat whenever he had a second. Everyone in the diner was watching them, and the rest of the town had gathered in Taylor's store and were staring through the window. He had to bite back the urge to scream at them all to mind their own damn business.

"It's fine, Luke." Rory assured him. "You yelling at them isn't going to change anything."

"Yeah, Uncle Luke. If the people stare, then the people stare," Jess joked.

"You really don't care?" Lorelai smirked.

At least their darling little town didn't ambush Rory. Instead they waited for her and Jess to retreat upstairs, then attacked Lorelai and Luke.

"What's she doing with him again?" Babette asked, taking Rory's empty spot.

"Hi, Babette. How are you?" Lorelai evaded the question, smiling brightly.

"I'm great, Doll, but I'm worried about our girl. What if he walks out again, she was so hurt last time."

"I know, but he won't this time. They're both mature now," Lorelai assured her. "But don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on her."

"Okay, Sugar. Whatever you say. But it's good to have her back. You two come by for coffee sometime!" She gave a wave, and then ran off- presumably to tell the rest of the town that Rory was indeed with Jess, and Lorelai had given them her approval.

They were laying in bed later that night arguing about books- Romeo and Juliet specifically.

"It's not a love story," Jess cried in exasperation.

"Of course it is!" Rory was only arguing this point for the sake of making him angry, she was actually in total agreement with him, but she loved how passionate he got about these types of things.

"It is a bad episode of Law and Order: SVU!" He exclaimed. "It's a 17 year old creep who wants to get in the pants of a 13 year old and gets 6 people killed in the process- including himself!"

"He was willing to die for her," Rory argued, struggling to keep a straight face.

"You can't be serious! You, Miss I-Am-Woman-Hear-Me-Roar Gilmore, thinks this is a love story!?"

He had reached pique outrage, and Rory couldn't hold back a smile anymore.

"You are a cruel woman!" He scolded, realizing she was just trying to make him crazy. "Cruel!" He grabbed her and started to tickle her in an attempt to exact revenge.

"Stop!" She squealed, trying to pull away.

"Say you didn't mean it," Jess held on. "Say it!"

"I didn't mean it," she finally gasped out. "I didn't mean it."

"Good girl." He kissed her neck as a reward, slowly moving lower and lower.

"Do you believe in magic?" She asked suddenly, causing him to stop and look up at her. She didn't know where the question had come from, but now that she had asked she found that she was incredibly interested in his answer. He stared at her for a few minutes, thinking, then kissed her hip bone and whispered, "Yes."

He crawled back up to his pillow and faced her.

"I mean, I don't believe in pixie dust or magic wands, but I believe in magic. The kind of magic that comes with falling in love, or watching the woman you love do something she loves," he gave her that coveted smirk of his- the one that made her melt inside. "I believe in that kind of magic."

Rory stared at him, not quite sure what to do with an answer like that. She had always known he was a romantic, but this was beyond anything he had ever put into words- anything _she_ had ever put into words, or could ever dream of putting into words. No wonder he had written a book. She leaned forward and kissed him, hoping he would understand what she couldn't seem to put into words. When she pulled away, the smirk remained and she knew that this was the magic he was talking about.

"So Courtney, what about you?"

"What about me?" She giggled.

"Do _you_ believe in magic?"

"I don't think I've ever thought about it," she admitted. "I mean, I read Harry Potter when I was a kid, and Peter Pan, but it was always just a story. I never thought my Hogwarts letter was coming, or that a Christmas miracle would make my parents get married. Those were always just things in stories, I never really believed them. My mother used to tell me that snow brought magic- that everything would be better when it snowed, but I never really believed her either. But now..." She sighed and stared into his eyes like she was trying to see through to his soul- like she was trying to find the magic he had talked about. He didn't say a word, just let her collect her thoughts and in the back of her mind she knew that this was why she loved him. He understood the silence in a way that no one else ever had, or ever would.

"A few months ago I still believed that- even last month. I still thought it was just something people wrote about and made movies about, a nice story to tell little kids. But the farther I get from the last year- from the life I tried to convince myself was my own... I think I do believe in magic. All of it. Love and snow and pixie dust and magic wands- I think magic is the only thing that could have saved me from myself."

"I thought you said I did that," Jess pointed out, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"You did. Because you're the reason I believe in magic."

He couldn't help but smile as he watched her face light up with the realization. He had spent his whole childhood praying that magic was real- that some sort of magic would save him and when it hadn't he had become cynical and angry. And then he had met her, and it was like all his years of wishing had come true. And now she was lying in bed with him, telling him that he was as magical to her as she was to him and he couldn't help but think that maybe she was right and it _was_ all real- pixie dust and birthday candles and snow. Maybe you just needed the right person to prove it.

"She's mad but she's magic." He mumbled, thinking that Bukowski had captured the sentiment perfectly.

"Are you calling me crazy?" Rory asked eyebrows raised.

"Mad as a hatter," Jess assured her. "But magic all the same."

He leaned forward and kissed her softly, not wanting to break the trance they had fallen into.

"The kind of woman they write books about," he added.

She smiled softly and nestled closer to him, never wanting the moment to end.

When she fell asleep, he got up and started to write.

She was the kind of woman they wrote books about- so he did. The words poured out of him as if they had been there his whole life. And maybe they had been. Maybe they had been sitting, trapped in his brain and encoded, just waiting for her to come along with the key. All he knew for sure was that he had to get them out before they disappeared. So he wrote for hours, and when the sun came up he kept writing.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Rory knew he hadn't slept, she had woken up every few hours and heard him typing or scribbling, but didn't want to disturb him. She finally gave up on sleeping without him around 6 and made a pot of coffee. She poured a cup and set it down on the table beside his computer, then slipped on her shoes and a sweater and took her own mug downstairs to give him peace and quiet.

"You're up early," Luke observed when she sat down at the counter. "And you brought your own coffee... you know I have that, right?"

"Jess is writing," she smiled. "He's been writing all night. I didn't want to disturb him."

"Ahh," Luke nodded understandingly. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Please," Rory nodded.

"Eggs? Bacon? Waffles?"

"When did you start serving waffles?"

"I've always had them, I just never advertised it because certain people would abuse the privilege. I'm willing to make an exception for you, though."

"As long as I don't tell Mom?" Rory guessed, knowing exactly who he was thinking of.

"Exactly," he nodded.

"Okay, sure. Waffles sound great."

"Okay." He grinned and disappeared into the back, leaving Rory to her own devices. In the early morning silence, with very few people in the diner, she found herself thinking about the conversation she and Jess had had the night before, and how light she felt now. It was like she had shed every doubt she had ever had, and now she could float. Like she really had been sprinkled with pixie dust and all the wonderful thoughts she had ever had were springing forth, raising her higher and higher- and she wasn't afraid to fall anymore.

"You seem... chipper," Luke observed when he came back with her waffles. "I've known you since you were eleven, and I don't think I've ever seen you chipper this early."

"I'm just happy," she assured him. "Really, really happy."

As the words came out of her mouth, she looked out the window and it started to snow. She let out a gurgle of laughter, realizing the irony of the situation. She desperately wanted to run upstairs and tell Jess what was happening, but she didn't want to interrupt his writing.

"You better eat your waffles," Luke interrupted her thoughts. "Your mom will be here any minute demanding you go 'breathe in the magic' with her."

True to his prediction, Lorelai burst through the door ten minutes later, laughing like a child.

"I told you!" She yelled at Luke. "I told you I smelled snow, and you doubted me!"

"Never doubt the snow senses!" Rory gasped in solidarity.

"You're both nuts." Luke grumbled, setting two take out cups and a winter coat on the counter. "Have fun."

"Let's go!" Lorelai grabbed her cup and headed for the door, bouncing on the balls of her feet impatiently as she waited for her daughter to join her.

They strolled through the town square, arms linked, sipping their coffee quietly and enjoying the weather until Lorelai finally spoke.

"Why are you up so early? I was sure I would have to brave pulling you out of bed with Jess."

"Don't be gross," Rory chastised. "Jess was up all night writing, so I woke up and went downstairs."

"Okay, that explains why you were downstairs. But why are you up? It's barely 6 AM."

"I slept a lot yesterday," she shrugged. "I guess I'd just gotten enough sleep."

What she didn't want to admit, was that she couldn't sleep without Jess beside her for more than a few hours. The feeling of an empty bed, the fear that she had lost him, continually jolted her from her sleep. If she told her mom that, though, she would worry. So instead, she rested her head on her mother's shoulder and said, "You're right. It is magical."

They kept walking until Lorelai needed to get breakfast and get to work, at which point Rory snuck into the apartment to get her laptop and phone, then took over a spot at the counter so she could work. She didn't realize how long she had been sitting until Lorelai came back for lunch.

"As much as I love snow, it makes my job a lot harder!" She complained, dropping onto the stool beside Rory, startling her. "I mean, how hard is it to pull out a black carpet so people don't slip and die? And why is everybody so afraid of the cold? Be a man and grab a shovel!"

"Hello to you too," Rory shut her laptop.

"I don't have time for hello," her mother waved her off. "LUKE!"

"I'm right here," he grumbled from a few feet away. "Quit yelling."

"Yes, but I need coffee and you ignore me if I don't yell."

"I don't ignore you, I make you wait your turn."

"Yes, but I'm your fiancee," Lorelai argued while he filled her mug. "My turn should come up as soon as I walk through the door."

"If only we lived in a perfect world," Luke deadpanned.

"Wow! Sleeping with you gets me nothing."

"You did get that fancy bathroom," Rory pointed out.

"Whose side are you on!?" Lorelai gasped.

"Well, technically Luke is the one housing me," she reasoned. "Plus he's kept us fed for the last ten years, so..."

"I gave birth to you!" Lorelai cried. "I spent twelve hours in labour and pushed you out of my-"

"OKAY!" Luke interrupted. "Nobody needs to hear that story!"

He put a doughnut on a plate and pushed it towards her.

"Eat and be quiet. I'll make you lunch."

Rory tried not to laugh while her mother picked up the doughnut and threw it at the diner owner's head- missing by about two feet.

"Nice shot." Lane appeared beside them, obviously coming in for the lunch shift. "Rory!"

"Lane!"

The girls hugged, both speaking at the same time, apologizing for not keeping in touch more over the last months.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Lane finally beamed. "We have to hang out and get all caught up."

"Definitely. As soon as Thanksgiving is over we have earned a movie and dish night!" Rory agreed.

"But before that, I do need to know one thing," Lane told her as she put on her apron. "Why do I keep hearing that you're here with Jess?"

"Because I am," Rory wrinkled her nose, a little embarrassed that she hadn't immediately called her best friend to tell her what she had done. "We're kind of back together. It's a long story."

"And one that I definitely need to hear!"

"Absolutely," Rory agreed. "Breakfast tomorrow?"

"It's a date," Lane agreed. "By the way, what are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing, as far as I know. Why?"

"Well, the band is doing a showcase- not just a gig, a showcase!" Lane squealed. "And there's going to be a couple of label guys there. I'm shaking! I shouldn't shake, I'm a drummer, it'll mess up the beat, but God! We're playing for a label."

"Wow, Lane! That's awesome!" Rory beamed at her friend. "I'm totally there!"

"Great! Would you want to be our D.A. Pennebaker? We're borrowing a video camera and we need someone sober to do the photography."

"I can set my crack pipe aside for one night," Rory joked.

"Thanks! You plus one, I guess, right?" Lane pulled out her notepad and started scribbling.

"Possibly," Rory frowned. "I'll have to talk to Jess. He seems to be in some sort of writer's hibernation right now."

"Okay, well I'll put him down and if all else fails, you can just find a new date."

"I'm sure Jess will love that," Rory rolled her eyes.

"Hey, we need bodies. He can't argue with that!" Lane shrugged, then hurried off to start her shift, returning to chat as often as she could throughout the rush.

"Okay!" Lorelai suddenly jumped up after finishing her chili fries. "I'm off to have lunch with your dad." She sighed dramatically and started pulling on her coat.

"You just had lunch with me," Rory pointed out.

"That was pre-lunch, in case things go badly with your dad and I don't get to eat."

"Ahh," Rory nodded. "Good planning."

"I thought so. Are you going to be here when I get back?"

"I might go hang out at the house if Jess is still writing, or if he sleeps."

"Okay, I'll find you when I get back then. Bye, sweets. Bye, Luke!" She waved and hurried to her car. "Hey Luke!" Rory called once she was gone. "LUKE!"

"What!?" .

"Can you make me a turkey burger?"

"You don't eat turkey burgers," he stuck his head out of the kitchen. "They're too healthy for you. You could do with eating a turkey burger every once in a while, but when have you or your mother ever listened to me."

He was starting to rant, and Rory decided it would be best to cut him off before he could get too worked up.

"That is very true, and it won't be changing any time soon," she assured him. "But Jess eats turkey burgers, and he needs to be fed."

"Ahh, alright."

He came out a few minutes later with a burger and fries on a plate.

"Thanks." Rory smiled and took the plate upstairs.

Jess was exactly where she had left him that morning, typing away when she walked in. The only evidence that he had moved was the empty coffee pot and an open box of Captain Crunch beside him.

"Yeah, you're super healthy!" Rory muttered when she saw the box, making a note of it for the next time he bugged her about her eating habits.

Trying not to disturb him too much, she quietly moved the box to the other side of the table and replaced it with the plate of hot food, then changed out of the sweats she had been wearing all day and grabbed her purse. She was halfway out the door before he noticed that she had been there at all.

"Thanks!" He called after her not looking away from the screen. Rory just smiled fondly at him and left him to work.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Rory was sitting in her bedroom, sorting through job applications and school forms she needed to fill out when her mother got back.

"How did it go?" She asked, joining her in the kitchen.

"Surprisingly well," Lorelai shrugged. "His grandfather died."

"Oh," Rory frowned.

"Apparently it was one of those unsad deaths, like Buddy Hacket," her mom comforted her.

"Nobody was sad when Buddy Hacket died?"

"No one I saw on TV. Anyways, he left Chris money- a lot of money, and now he wants to share it with us. Do you want a Bentley?"

"I don't think so," Rory chuckled.

"What about a castle?"

"What would I do with a castle?"

"I'm simply relaying the message," Lorelai put her hands up.

"Dad should keep the money for himself."

"Are you sure there's nothing you want?" Her mom pushed. "A brewery? A Faberge egg? Let's see, what else did he mention... paying for Yale, through a PhD. Vacations, a canon from the civil war- functioning, of course, so it's not just for show. It sounded like the sky was the limit."

"Actually, I think there is something I want." Rory admitted, looking thoughtful.

"Really?" Lorelai stopped, looking a little surprised. "What?"

"I think I would let him pay for Yale."

"Seriously?"

"Ya," Rory shrugged. "Unless you think that's too much."

"Are you kidding? I think it was the cheapest of all the things he offered," her mom assured her.

"It's just that there would be residual benefits," Rory explained. "It would get me out from under Grandma and Grandpa's thumb, which is sounding really good to me right now."

"I can't say I don't relate," Lorelai shrugged.

"I don't want them to be holding anything over me," she continued. "I don't want to owe them anything. It's just too much pressure. There are too many strings attached with these people."

"Okay, I'm getting very uncomfortable with this whole, Freaky Friday moment we have going on here," Lorelai frowned. "Because it means I have to go to Yale, and you have to go run the Inn and, Oh God! I don't even want to think about what it means for Jess and Luke!"

"It's feeling better by the second, this idea." Rory smiled, ignoring her mother's rambling.

"You do understand you'd basically be cutting Mom and Dad off," Lorelai pointed out.

"You don't know what it was like to be living there," Rory countered.

"Hello!" Her mother gasped. "Oppressed one, class of '85!"

"But you got out."

"No, no, no. You were only there for three months," Lorelai shook her head. "You are not in my league, we can't swap war stories."

"They had their Reverend come over to talk me out of having sex, they never did they to you."

"Five times, they did that to me," Lorelai smirked. "The last time they triple-teamed me with a priest, a rabbi and a Mormon missionary. I made so many jokes that night, I should have had a microphone and a brick wall behind me! And, I never got a forty thousand dollar sex house."

"A what!?" Rory demanded, a shocked look on her face.

"You don't want to know," her mom assured her.

"Look, I know it's a slippery slope. Dad is Dad," Rory sighed.

"Yes, he is."

"But I'm pretty sure I want to do this."

"Well, if you're sure," he mom shrugged. "Let's call him."

"Let's." Rory agreed.

"He's gonna be happy."

"Not as happy as me," Rory smirked.

Lorelai nodded and went to go call Christopher back, leaving Rory to get back to her work. She had just started a new batch of resumes when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Who's me?" Rory asked, not looking up from her work.

"Oh my God, you don't even recognize the voice of your best friend!"

"Sorry, Paris," Rory apologized. "There's noise here. What's up?"

"I don't know, you called me," Paris pointed out.

"Right! I just wanted to tell you, I'm coming back to Yale!"

"Of course you're coming back," Paris deadpanned. "What are you going to do without a college degree?"

"Well, I was calling to ask you to keep your eyes and ears open for somewhere for me to live," Rory ignored her lack of excitement, knowing she was happy on the inside.

"Mid year like this, it's going to be tough."

"I'm not picky," Rory reminded her. "Plus, I want to come back to the paper- that's a given. Where are you right now, by the way?"

"I'm here, at the Daily News."

"By yourself?" Rory asked, noting the silence on the other line.

"No, everybody's here, I just like a super quiet work environment."

"They're not getting time off for Thanksgiving?"

"I put up a paper turkey and I layed out some Oscar Mayer."

"Nice," Rory frowned.

"I'll keep an eye out for an apartment and talk to you later," Paris promised "If I can't find anything, though, Doyle and I do have an extra bedroom in our apartment. I'd be happy to let you rent it."

"Okay, thanks. I'll let you know about the room. Bye!"

Rory hung up, shaking her head at her friend's insanity and trying to think of a way to get out of living with her again. Two years of rooming with Paris had been more than enough, but she knew Paris was right and her other options would be limited this late in the year.

She headed back to the the diner a few hours later, figuring she would try to pull Jess away from his work to eat some dinner, but found him downstairs helping Luke.

"Hey," he greeted her as she walked in and took a seat at the counter. "Did you talk to your mom? She was in here looking for you earlier."

"Yeah, I was at the house. She wanted to tell me about lunch with my dad."

"Oh, yeah! What was that all about?"

"His grandfather died and left him all this money and now he wants to take care of us."

"Really?" Jess looked sceptical.

"Apparently. He offered all this stuff that nobody would ever need or want. Faberge eggs and civil war canons and all sorts of stuff like that, but I am going to take him up on something."

"The world's biggest library?" Jess guessed.

"No, but that is such a good idea! Do you think I could get him to find me the one from Beauty and the Beast?"

"Probably not," Jess shook his head. "What were you thinking of?"

"I'm going to let him pay for Yale."

"Really?"

"Why does everybody keep sounding so surprised?" Rory demanded. "Yes, really!"

"Sorry, it's just, all the times you've told me about your dad, he always sounded like a bit of a flake. I just didn't expect you to put that much trust in him."

"Mom seems to think he's good for it," she shrugged. "And I just really need to get out from under my grandparent's thumb. I can't stand the thought of owing them anymore."

"Hey, it's your decision," Jess held up his hands. "I just don't want you to do anything you're going to regret in the long run."

"I know, but I think this is the right decision."

"Okay," he nodded.

"Mom and I are having lunch with him on Thursday..."

"And?" Jess prompted, recognizing the questioning look on her face.

"And I was wondering if you would come," she asked sheepishly. "I mean, you don't have to, I just..."

"Would it make you feel better if I did?" Jess guessed.

"A little, yeah."

"Then I'm there. It's probably about time I met your Dad anyways. Do you think he still wants to beat the crap out of me?"

"I don't know. We could always ask him."

"Or we could tell him what a douche Logan was and send him to beat him up," Jess offered.

"That works," Rory shrugged. "Logan could really do with getting his face bashed in a little bit."

"It would definitely make for an improvement."

Rory smiled softly, then quickly changed the subject, not wanting to think about Logan anymore.

"So Lane's band is doing a showcase tomorrow."

"That's still going, huh? Did they ever decide on a name?" He thought back to the party they seen them play at, where Rory had just mumbled instead of giving them an actual name.

"Yes," she laughed. "They're called Hep Alien. And, like I said, they're doing a showcase tomorrow night and there's going to be label guys there and stuff, and I told Lane I would be their D.A. Pennebaker."

"That was nice of you."

"I thought so. Anyways, she put me on the list with a plus one, and I've been instructed to bring a date whether you want to come or not."

"Well then," Jess looked a little shocked. "That's puts you in a bit of a dilemma, now doesn't it?"

"Well, Lane gave me very strict instructions. So if you can't pull yourself away from your work for a few hours, I'll just have to find myself a new boy toy."

"Maybe Kirk will go with you," Jess mused. "Or Taylor. I bet he hasn't been to a good show in a while."

"Do you think I could get Luke to come?"

"No, but I definitely want to be there when you ask him," Jess laughed.

"Seriously, though. Don't you want to come party with me? I've gotten so much better at it since our last concert."

"I seem to recall you crowd surfing the last time we were at a concert."

"Exactly, don't you want to know what's better than that?"

"I think you're just trying to trick me into going on a date with you."

"How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" Rory gasped. "Why, even the thought I would be capable of such trickery!"

"Uh huh," Jess rolled his eyes. "I suppose, I could go with you, but you'd owe me one."

"Really?" Rory raised an eyebrow. "Because the last time I checked, I had just spent the last two weeks working for _your_ publishing house, planning _your_ open house and dealing with _your_ crazy poets. Plus, I made sure you didn't starve to death today. So, if you really think about it, I think you're the one who owes me."

"Only if you think about it in Gilmore World," Jess shook his head. "Seeing as I've been housing and feeding you for the last two weeks, and plan to continue doing so for the next hundred years or so."

"Ya, but I'm a treat. Who wouldn't want me around?"

"You sure think a lot of yourself, Gilmore."

"I bet if we called Matt and Chris they would take my side," she smirked and reached for the phone.

"Okay, we don't need to bring them into this. I'll go to the showcase with you." Jess grabbed her hand, knowing that his housemates would be all too happy to agree with her.

"Because you know I'm right."

"No, because you're cute and I like a good concert."

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "How's your writing going?"

"Good, I think I've got a good base."

"Can I read it?"

"When it's done."

"Not before?" She asked, giving him her coveted 'Rory eyes'.

"Nope," he leaned over the counter and kissed her, then grabbed the plates Luke had just put in the window.

"Will you at least tell me what it's about?"

"Not gonna happen, Gilmore." He dropped the plates off at a table and went to refill coffee mugs.

"You're a tease!" She called after him, frowning.

"Karma's a bitch," he shrugged. She glared at him for another minute before retreating upstairs to order take-out from Al's Pancake World- much to Jess's chagrin.

"You know we have food here, right?" He pointed out when she reappeared half an hour later with the bags.

"You don't have Chinese food."

"Neither does Al's," he grimaced.

"Don't be such a snob," she rolled her eyes. "Are you almost done down here."

"I'm just gonna help Luke clear these last few tables and then I'll come up and eat with you."

"Okay," she smiled and disappeared behind the curtain, well aware that he was watching her go.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"Well this is definitely a step up from the last time I saw them play," Jess observed as they walked into the club the next night.

"Ya, they've moved on from playing in people's living rooms," Rory agreed. "Last year, they actually got a gig at CBGB's, but they didn't end up getting to play because the place was empty."

"That sucks, but I mean, they were backstage at CBGBs. Isn't that the absolute rock star dream?"

"Pretty much. Lane said it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen."

They found a table close to the stage and Jess went to get them drinks, leaving Rory to figure out how to work the video camera Lane had given her that morning at breakfast.

"Hey!" Lane appeared at the table wearing her usual show costume.

"Hey!" Rory jumped up and hugged her. "You look almost intimidatingly cool."

"Thanks."

"Everyone ready?"

"Pretty much, although sound check was a bit weird," she grimaced.

"Well, you know what they say: Weird sound check, good show."

"Who says that?" Jess asked, joining them.

"Well, just me," Rory admitted. "But I'm hoping it will catch on."

"Uh-huh," Jess nodded. "Hi Lane."

"Hey, Jess. Thanks for coming!" Lane smiled, trying not to be too awkward. She had promised Rory that she and Jess would be friends this time- or that she would at least try.

"I'm always up for a good show," he shrugged and Rory bit back a smile- he had made the same promise as Lane and now they were both stuck being awkward dorks.

"See those two guys?" Lane discreetly pointed to a couple of well-dressed men sitting by the sound booth a couple feet away. "Those are the label guys."

"I'll be careful not to hurt them when I start violently slam dancing," Rory promised, then noticed how nervous her friend looked and reached out to squeeze her arm. "You're going to be great."

"Thanks. I should get back there. We have this lucky pre-show thing we always do."

"Good luck!" Rory beamed.

"We'll talk about you really loudly in the hopes the label guys hear," Jess offered.

"Thanks," Lane let out a nervous laugh, then hurried backstage.

"You're being nice!" Rory beamed, taking the drink Jess offered her.

"I told you I would be."

"I know. It's just nice seeing you guys trying to get along. I really think you could be good friends."

"I know you do," Jess assured her. "Did you figure out that camera yet?"

"I think so," she held up the device. "I guess we'll find out soon."

When the band was announced, they moved to the front of the crowd so Rory could get a good angle, but it quickly became evident that she definitely shouldn't be filming. Zach was yelling about his Gwen Stefani mic not working, Gil and some guy Rory had never seen before were fighting, they weren't playing anything and the crowd was starting to heckle. Then, seemingly without reason, Zach had a total meltdown and started kicking Brian, causing Gil to tackle him to the ground. Before they knew it, Lane was desperately trying to get between them and the bouncer was dragging Zach off the stage. Rory quickly turned off the camera and handed it to Jess, then hurried backstage to try and find Lane.

"What happened?" She asked when she finally found her, sitting in a corner crying while Gil and Brian packed up their gear.

"I don't know?" Lane sobbed. "Zach just freaked out! And I think we just broke up."

"Oh Lane!" Rory sat down and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm so sorry."

"Maybe it's better this way," she shrugged. "Maybe Zach was right, this is why people in bands shouldn't date."

"Zach is an idiot," Rory assured her. "Come on, Jess and I will give you a ride home."

"I can't go home!" Lane cried. "I can't go back to that house and face him after this. I'm going to have to go back to my mom's house!"

"You can crash with us tonight," Rory offered. "Come on."

"I need to get my drum kit."

"We've got it," Gil piped up. "You can go."

"Come on." Rory pulled her to her feet, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her back out into the club so they could collect Jess and head home.

The drive back to Stars Hollow was silent except for the radio, Lane sitting in the back seat staring aimlessly out the window and Rory watching her nervously through the rear view mirror. When they got back to the diner, Lane insisted she would be fine sleeping on the couch, not wanting to use Luke's bed, so Rory gave her a pair of pyjamas and a pillow, then left her to get some sleep, promising her she would feel better in the morning.

She was gone before they woke up the next morning, leaving a note on the kitchen table promising Rory she would call her later.

"That blows, having your band break up in the middle of a shot like that," Jess observed as he made coffee. "I wonder why Zach freaked out like that."

"Who knows," Rory shrugged. "I just hope it all works out. That band is everything to Lane."

"What do you think she'll do now?"

"It sounded like she was going to move back in with her mom," Rory frowned. "But I don't know if she really meant that, or if she was just too upset to think of anything else."

Before they could continue their conversation, there was a knock at the door.

"It;s me!" Luke called.

"Just let me put some pants on!" Jess yelled as Rory headed for the door.

"Jess!" Rory scolded as she opened the door. "He's just kidding, Luke. What's up?"

"I was just coming to warn you that Liz will probably be here soon. I figure something will go wrong with her dinner before 10, so you'll want to run while you still can."

"Thanks for the warning," Jess nodded.

"Anytime. You're having Thanksgiving dinner with us tonight, right?"

"Yep," Jess nodded. "Unless you're planning on uninviting me, which I wouldn't be hurt about at all."

"You're coming to Thanksgiving dinner," Rory glared. "And you're not going to complain about it."

"I don't remember that last part being there before," Jess frowned.

"It's a new rule, go get dressed."

To Luke's surprise, Jess did as she said, skulking over to a dresser with his coffee.

"It's nice to know you listen to someone," he mused, then ran out before Jess could throw anything at him. "See you tonight!"

They got ready and relocated to the bookstore for the morning, where Rory browsed and Jess did some more writing, before heading out to meet Christopher for lunch.

They met him and Lorelai in a small cafe in Hartford covered in Thanksgiving decorations and advertising every type of pie Jess could think of.

"Hey!" Chris jumped to his feet as soon as they walked in, pulling his daughter into a hug while Jess stayed a few steps back, waiting to be introduced.

"Dad, this is Jess," Rory pulled him forward.

"Hey, nice to meet you." Chris reached out and shook his hand amicably, then hugged Lorelai and invited them all to sit.

"I can't tell you how jazzed I am to see you on Thanksgiving," Chris beamed. "We've never been together on Thanksgiving."

"God, is that true?" Lorelai pretended to be shocked, despite knowing full well that he was right, since she had invited him every year when Rory was growing up and he had flaked every time.

"So, what's this about?" He asked, smiling widely.

"Well, I filled Rory in," Lorelai started. "I told her about the castle and the brewery-"

"The Oompa Loompas?"

"Those too," she promised. "And, well, do you want to take it?" She turned to Rory.

"Sure," she nodded. "Well, I thought about it and Mom and I talked about it, and Jess and I talked about it, and I think it would be really great if you could pay for Yale."

"Absolutely!" Chris beamed. "Nothing would make me happier!"

"Great. Thank you!"

"I'm there. I am so there!" He assured her. "Let me pay for Chilton too!"

"That's already taken care of," Lorelai told him.

"You know, Yale is pretty expensive," Rory pointed out tentatively.

"But I'm loaded. Didn't you tell her I'm loaded?" He asked Lorelai.

"I told her," she shrugged.

"So do I give you the cash or do I pay Yale?" He asked, then started babbling about cheques and money orders until Lorelai cut him off.

"Sorry, this just makes me so happy, you can't even understand."

"It makes me happy too," Rory smiled. "It means a lot to me. This was excellent timing, believe me."

Before Christopher could ask why it was so perfect, her cellphone rang.

"One second," she dug the phone out of her purse and frowned. "It's Matt."

"Why is he calling you?" Jess asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "We'll be right back."

She and Jess got up and stepped outside, leaving Chris and Lorelai alone.

"Hello?" Rory answered.

"Rory! How lovely to hear your voice, it's nice to know someone will take my calls!"

"What's going on, Matt?" Rory laughed, noting his passive aggressive tone.

"I need to speak with your darling boyfriend, and he seems to be screening my calls."

"Why would anyone do that? You're a delight!" She laughed, noting the look Jess was giving her.

"Right!? Anyways, does he happen to be anywhere in your general vicinity?"

"Actually, he's standing right beside me." She handed the phone over, still laughing.

"Stop flirting with my girlfriend!" Jess barked. "What do you want?"

Rory grinned and turned to rejoin her parents. She overheard them saying something about Richard and Emily, but they stopped talking as soon as they saw her.

"Everything okay?" Lorelai asked quickly.

"Yeah, he just needed to talk to Jess."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Chris asked, making Lorelai and Rory exchange a worried look.

"He's Luke's nephew," Rory told him. "And we dated back in high school."

Chris and Lorelai stared at each other for a moment, having what appeared to be a silent argument.

"We're better now," Rory assured him, hoping her father would understand that the subject wasn't up for discussion. She seemed to have made her point, because he immediately dropped the subject and moved on to asking about Lorelai's engagement until Jess rejoined them.

"All good?" Rory asked, putting her phone back in her purse.

"It's Matt," Jess pointed out.

"So everything's wonderful?"

"Exactly," he grumbled, looking back at the menu.

"So, Jess, tell me about yourself," Christopher turned to him. "What do you do?"

"I work at a publishing house in Philly."

"Oh yeah? Which one?"

"It's called Truncheon, just a small place. We publish a bunch of local artists and writers, and run a monthly zine."

"Cool, anything I would have read?"

"Probably not." Jess shook his head. "It's mostly author distributed, small bookstores and that kind of thing."

"Well, I'll keep an eye out," Chris smiled.

Rory could tell he was trying, and she appreciated it. They spent the rest of lunch making small talk, and Rory noticed that her mother pointedly avoided talking about their separation, which she appreciated.

"We should do this again," Chris told her as they were saying goodbye, and she found herself agreeing and giving him her new number. For all the times that he had let her down, for some reason she was getting the feeling that he was in it for good this time. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but it was a nice thought.

Luke had called halfway through lunch to ask if Liz and her renaissance friends could join them at the Inn, so Lorelai left them to make sure everything was set up, while Rory and Jess returned to the apartment to get ready.

"So, what did Matt want?" Rory asked while she got changed for dinner.

"He sent me a bunch of manuscripts to read, he was just wondering if I'd gotten to them- which I haven't."

"I can do them," Rory offered. "That way you can focus on writing."

"I'll get to them," he waved her off, but she persisted.

"Jess, come on. Let me help! I like doing it. You should be focusing on your own writing, not other people's."

"Okay," he caved. "If you really don't mind."

"I really don't," she promised. "Now get ready. We have thanks to give."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

When they got to the Inn, Jess and Rory were immediately tackled by Liz and TJ.

"My boy!" Liz squealed, pulling Jess into a hug. "This is so great! It's been so long since we've had Thanksgiving together!"

"Yeah, your Mom has been very upset about that," TJ agreed. "Give your old man a hug!"

"No." Jess glared at him.

"Rory!" Liz turned and pulled her into a hug, ignoring the obvious tension between Jess and TJ. "It's so good to see you! I'm so happy you're back, and you and Jess are together! Oh, you know I always knew it would be you two, just like I always knew about Luke and your Mom. You know, I have a real sense about these things-"

"That's great, Liz." Jess interrupted, pulling Rory from her grasp and backing away. "We have to go say hi to Lorelai now."

"Okay, we'll talk later!" Liz called after them.

"Try running a little faster," Rory joked. "I think she might be following us."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Jess grimaced.

"Come on, they're not that bad."

"Not if we stay as far away as possible for as long as possible," he conceded. "We said hi, now all we have to do is keep our distance until it's time to say goodnight."

Rory laughed, but didn't disagree. She was used to eccentricity, what with growing up with Lorelai and living where she had, but even she had to admit that Liz and TJ were a bit much. Their hearts were in the right place though, and that was what really mattered.

"Jess!" Luke jumped up from his place at the table, waving them over desperately.

"Hey, Luke!" Jess waved back, but kept walking, not wanting to get sucked in by his mother's crazy friends.

"You're so mean!" Rory gasped. "Go save him!"

"We have to say hi to your mom."

"Ha!" Rory shook her head disapprovingly. "You're awful."

"We'll save him during dinner," Jess promised.

"No, we're going to save him now. We saw Mom less than two hours ago. Come on." She turned and pulled him towards the empty seats beside Luke.

"Thank God, someone sane." Luke grumbled

"Have you met her?" Jess asked, earning an elbow to the ribs. "Ow! I'm just saying!"

"How are you, Luke?" Rory asked, pointedly ignoring him.

"Great," he grumbled.

Beside him, there was a man stabbing a knife between his fingers, in what Rory assumed was his coveted Renaissance Fair performance while Liz hovered over him and the rest of the table watched.

"Huzzah!" They cried when he finished.

"You're so good at that, Stu!" Liz complimented. "Too bad you didn't put all that effort into something that could make money!"

"Thanks, Liz!" The man beamed, then turned to Luke. "So, when are you coming back out on the Renaissance Fair circuit with us?"

Rory and Jess both turned to Luke, expectant smiles on their faces.

"I'd say sometime after I've been drugged and lobotomized." He said, trying his best to ignore them.

The crowd burst into laughter.

"You're the funniest, smartest guy I know!" Stu laughed.

"I'm calling him Yakoff from now on," Liz agreed.

"Please don't judge me by this," Luke pleaded, noticing the amused look on Rory's face.

"I won't- Yakoff." Beside her, Jess was no longer able to help himself, putting his head on the table and shaking from laughter.

"We're just minutes away from eating, everybody!" Lorelai announced, suddenly standing behind them.

"Oh, I'm so excited to see this meal!" Liz gushed. "My dinner didn't exactly turn out like Martha's picture. Who knew a turkey could melt like that? I didn't!"

Her friends laughed, while Luke and Jess exchanged an understanding look.

"Hey guys, when did you sneak in?" Lorelai asked, leaning over Jess and Rory. "And why does the hoodlum look like he's been crying?"

"We just got here a few minutes ago," Rory informed her. "And Jess just learned a new nickname for Luke that he's really excited about."

"Ooh! You'll have to tell me later!" She beamed, then turned to Luke. "Hey, hon, you want to come carve for us?"

"I'll carve if you want me to," he shrugged and got up.

"Bless you!" She pulled him away, leaving Jess and Rory alone.

Before any of the Renaissance fair people could corner them, Davey came running over.

"RORY!" He screeched, jumping onto her lap.

"Hi, Davey!" She beamed. "I've missed you! Where's your daddy?"

The little boy pointed to the other end of the table, where Jackson was trying to coerce his daughter into a high chair in preparation for dinner.

"Who's he?" Davey asked, poking Jess's arm.

"This is my friend Jess. Jess, this is Davey- Sookie and Jackson's kid."

"Hi," Jess nodded to the boy.

"Jess is Luke's nephew," Rory explained.

"What's a nephew?" Davey asked, studying Jess as though he was a science experiment.

"Luke has a sister," Rory explained. "And Jess is her son, which makes him Luke's nephew. So when you and Martha grow up and she has a baby, that would be your nephew."

"Oh." Davey nodded, then jumped down and headed back to his chair.

"He doesn't exactly have the best attention span, does he?" Jess asked.

"He's three," Rory shrugged. "They're not exactly known for their attention spans."

"What are you guys talking about?" Lorelai asked, taking the seat that Luke had vacated.

"Davey's lacking attention span."

"Ah, so what's Luke's new nickname?" She asked eagerly. "Because you know I'm always looking for new material."

"Yakoff," Jess snickered.

"Your mom?" Lorelai guessed, eyebrows raised.

"Obviously."

"Hey, Yakoff!" Lorelai snickered as he sat back down..

"Judas," he accused Jess.

"Did Sookie kick you out?"

"Yep."

"Predictable!"

"I don't understand why she asks for help," Rory mused. "She's never once actually accepted it once it arrived."

"Dinner is served!" Sookie interrupted their musings, appearing in the doorway, followed by an army of waiters carrying enough food to feed a small country.

"This looks amazing!" Rory complimented as she walked past them. "You've outdone yourself!"

"Thanks, Cupcake!" Sookie beamed, then joined Jackson in the fight to get Martha and Davey into their highchairs.

When dinner was over, Davey rejoined Rory and Jess. Rory was utterly thrown by how amazing Jess was with the little boy. While he had seemed apprehensive at first, he'd quickly gotten into things, playing along when Davey announced they were pirates and turning into a regular Jack Sparrow. Watching the two of them made Rory's ovaries hurt, she couldn't help thinking that she would be more than happy to have his children one day. As soon as the thought came into her head, though, she shoved it away. They were nowhere near that point in their relationship, this was not the time to think about babies.

Jess and Davey were in the middle of a pillow fight for Rory's honour when Lorelai joined them, smiling kindly at the boys.

"Who'd have thought," she sat down beside her daughter.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Jess playing pirates and not looking like he's about to off himself with the help of one of the bookshelves!"

"It's not _that_ surprising," Rory tried to wave her off.

"Really?" Her mom raised an eyebrow. "I seem to recall the last time the two of you interacted with someone under the age of 17 he attempted to push her in front of a car."

"There was no pushing! He just told her that he would meet her out there with cotton candy."

"Because that's _so_ much better."

"Well, he's changed. Now he likes children... at least he likes this one," Rory reasoned. "Was there any specific reason you came over here, other than to gossip about my boyfriend?"

"Nope," Lorelai smiled. "It was getting boring over there, TJ is on exceptionally good behaviour so Luke has no good reason to beat him up, and there's no really good drunks-"

"Well, you could always take one for the team," Rory shrugged. "Nothing says Thanksgiving like your coveted Coyote Ugly reenactment."

"Very funny. You wanna sneak out and go get pie?"

"We just had _four_ types of pie, _plus_ half our weight in turkey and potatoes... and rolls!"

"Ooh, rolls!" Lorelai smiled. "Do you think there's any rolls left in the kitchen?"

"You're sick," Rory shook her head.

"Oh, please! You're thinking the same thing, don't try to shame me!"

Rory shrugged, unable to really argue that point.

"So, pie?"

"Pie," her mother beamed. "LUKE!"

She jumped up and hurried out of the room to find her fiancee so they could make a run for it.

"Oh, you got me!" Jess fell to the floor dramatically while Davey hovered over him. He snuck in one more blow to the side of Jess's head, then ran over to Rory and jumped into her lap.

"My hero!" She pretended to swoon, hugging the little boy tightly.

"I'll get you next time," Jess promised as he sat down beside them.

"Nuh-uh!" Davey stuck his tongue out at Jess and ran off to tell his parents about his victory.

"Come on," Rory pulled Jess off the couch. "We're going to get pie."

"You just had pie!" Jess gaped at her.

"Yes, but you can never have too much pie. Let's go."

"You're sick!"

She ignored him and joined her mother and Luke in the lobby where they were saying goodbye to Sookie and Liz.

"Dinner was amazing, Sookie!" Rory hugged her. "Thanks again."

"I'm glad you liked it, Cupcake. See you soon!"

"Bye, Jess!" Liz pulled her son into a rib cracking hug. "Come visit anytime!"

"Sure," he nodded uncomfortably and ducked away from TJ.

Before anyone else could grab them, Lorelai herded everyone out the door and back to the diner.

"Where's the pie?" Lorelai demanded once they were inside. "And coffee."

"I don't have any."

"What!?" Lorelai stopped dead in her tracks and spun around, a look of terror on her face. "What do you mean you don't have any?"

"I was closed today, why would I make pie if I wasn't going to serve it to anyone?"

"Because your fiancee and her daughter- your future step-daughter- love pie, and you have pledged your life to caring for us," she explained. "What are we going to do without pie?"

"You just had pie," Luke argued. "You don't need more."

"You always need more pie!" Rory joined in.

"Exactly," Lorelai nodded. "Are you really going to deny us pie on this, the day of the holiday of eating!? This is one of the happiest days of the year, and you're Grinching all over it!"

"Grinching isn't a word," Jess piped up. "Plus, the Grinch is Christmas."

Lorelai and Rory both turned to glare at him, and he took a step back, hands up in defeat.

"Sorry. Carry on."

"We need pie!" Lorelai turned back around and slammed her fist on the counter.

"And coffee," Rory added.

"We need pie and coffee!"

Luke glared at the both of them, then disappeared into the back grumbling incoherently.

"I'll make coffee," Jess offered.

"Yours is so much more helpful," Lorelai frowned.

"I just have him better trained," Rory shrugged.

"We're not circus monkeys," Jess called over his shoulder.

"Hush," Rory waved him off.

"Luke! Where's our pie!?" Lorelai called.

"One of these days, he's going to kill you." Rory pointed out.

"Nah, he likes me too much. And besides, he would never be able to get rid of the body, Taylor would be all over him. Do you know how many town rules dumping a body breaks?"

"He could always kill Taylor, too."

"Yeah, but then Kirk would get suspicious, and the next thing you know he's turned into the Star's Hollow serial killer and there won't be anyone left in town."

"Except me," Rory smiled. "He loves me way too much to kill me. Right Luke?!"

"No!"

"Ha!" Lorelai pointed an accusing finger at her daughter. "No one's getting out alive, are you proud of yourself?"

"Me? What did I do?" Rory demanded.

"You're the one who put the idea in his head."

"I did not! You're the one that's driving him crazy!"

"I'm a delight!" Lorelai gasped.

"You're a fruitcake," Luke informed her, coming around the corner holding what appeared to be half a blueberry pie.

"You're an angel!" Lorelai beamed at him. "Wings, halo and all! Have I ever told you that!"

"Once or twice," he grumbled.

Jess handed out cups of coffee while Luke went to grab plates, but Lorelai and Rory just grabbed forks and started to dig in.

"Why make extra dishes," Lorelai reasoned when she saw Luke glaring at them disapprovingly.

"It's the Gilmore motto," Rory agreed.

"Really? I thought our motto was 'Coffee, Coffee, Coffee'?"

"No, that's what keeps us alive," Rory shook her head. "Think about it, for my entire life we have done everything possible to avoid doing dishes, including, but not limited to, mixing batters and such with our fingers, living off of paper plates and only using plastic cutlery whenever feasible- and sometimes when it was incredibly inconvenient."

"Plastic cutlery is never inconvenient," Lorelai argued.

"Ice cream?"

"Only if it's too hard, you just have to leave it out for a few minutes."

Rory shrugged in agreement, then returned to the pie.

"Speaking of ice cream..." Lorelai looked up at Luke.

"No! You do not need ice cream too!"

"Come on!" She pleaded. "Pie without ice cream is practically sacrilege!"

Luke just shrugged, obviously not moved by the argument.

Lorelai sulked for a few minutes, but was distracted from her misery when Rory started talking about the wedding and what she was planning.

"I haven't made any yet," she shrugged.

"How have you not made any plans?" Rory demanded. "You've been engaged for four months!"

"She wouldn't make any plans until you were home," Luke told her.

"Aww!" Rory put her head on her mother's shoulder. "That's so sweet!"

"Well I couldn't plan a wedding without my favourite daughter. Who else would take my side when I announced that I wanted a cotton candy bouquet?"

"That's better than the pot roast you suggested last time," Rory shrugged.

"See?" Lorelai glared at Luke, pointing to her daughter. "I told you she would agree with me!"

"I didn't agree with you," Rory corrected. "I just said it was better than your last idea. I'm still voting for going the traditional route of flowers."

"Maybe I was thinking of my other favourite daughter," Lorelai frowned.

"Well you let me know when you find her, and we can have a chat." Rory patted her arm. "So are you going to start planning now?"

"I'm going to start thinking about planning," Lorelai agreed. "I think I'll really dive in after our trip to Atlantic City next weekend."

"Not while we're there?" Rory asked. "I was sure you'd want to try out one of the Elvis chapels."

"Ooh!" Lorelai eyes widened.

"No!" Luke snapped, taking away her coffee cup. "No Elvis, no neon signs, no crazy costumes-"

"Not even Cher?" Lorelai demanded, thinking how great she would look in a feather head dress.

"NO! Stop giving her ideas!" He glared at Rory, who smiled like the Cheshire cat. "I think it's time to go home."

"What? It's still early!" Lorelai reached for her cup again, but Luke moved it to the back counter.

"If you drink anymore coffee, we're going to end up getting married in the middle of a circus, or something."

"Oh! That would be so cool! You could dress up like the strong man and Rory and I could be trapeze artists!"

"Okay, let's go." Luke rounded the counter and pulled Lorelai up from her stool.

"Bye, Sweets!" Lorelai waved to her daughter. "Do me a favour and see if we can rent one of those fancy circus tents!"

"I'll make sure to pretend to do that!" Rory promised. "Happy Thanksgiving!"

Luke pulled her mother outside and led her to her Jeep, trying to ignore her while she continued yammering on about the circus acts they could use in their wedding.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"I can't believe you're already leaving!" Lorelai complained as she helped Rory load boxes into Jess's car on Sunday morning. "And you're taking all your stuff with you! I'm never going to see you again!"

"I'm not taking all my stuff," Rory pointed out. "Just some of it. And you'll see me next weekend for our Atlantic City trip. Don't be so dramatic."

"Oh, you'll miss me when I'm gone!" She cried mournfully.

"You'll be fine," Rory assured her. "I'll see you in a few days."

"Fine," she huffed. "Kiss the Mommy."

Rory laughed, but obliged, kissing her mother on the cheek and pulling her into a hug.

"All set?" Jess asked, coming out of the house with the last bag, which was full of snacks and junk food that Rory planned on sneaking into the apartment, as if he wouldn't notice it.

"Yep," Rory went to get in the car, but Lorelai reached out and grabbed her arm.

"No wait, don't leave me!" She cried. "Don't take away my baby!"

"Mom!" Rory sighed heavily.

"You haven't said good-bye to Paul Anka, yet." Her mother tried. "You can't leave without saying good-bye. He'll be so sad!"

"Then he should have come out earlier," Rory shrugged. "He's missed his chance, but at least now you know that he doesn't like me better than you."

"I already knew that," Lorelai assured her. "I'm the one who keeps food on the table and keeps track of all the stupid things he's afraid of."

"What the-!" Jess jumped out of the car, looking surprised. The two women turned around to see Paul Anka jump into the passenger's seat.

"How the hell did he get in there?" Jess demanded.

"Ha!" Rory beamed. "He does like me better!"

"How?!" Lorelai demanded. "Did you put bacon in your laundry or something?"

"Paul Anka likes me better, Paul Anka likes me better!" Rory sang, dancing around victoriously.

"I'm glad you're happy," Jess frowned. "But could we maybe get the flea ridden mutt out of my car?"

"Hey, my dog doesn't have fleas!" Lorelai frowned. "He's the cleanest dog in town! I give him bubble baths every week."

"Of course you do," Jess shook his head.

Lorelai smiled and opened the passenger door. "Get out here, you!" She ordered her dog, who jumped out and hurried back to the house.

"That's right! Avoid my glare!" She called after him.

"If you squint really hard, she kind of looks like me!" Rory called after the dog.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Lorelai asked grumpily.

"Ha! Suddenly not so sad to see me go, are you?" Rory smirked.

"What? No! Don't be a stranger, bye-bye." She pushed her daughter towards the car. "Call me when you get there."

"Bye!" Rory leaned out the window and waved as Jess started to drive, then laughed when Paul Anka started racing after them.

"Hey! Get back here, Judas!" Lorelai cried, racing after him.

"I'll be back soon," Rory assured the dog before being pulled back into the car to avoid getting hit in the face by a tree branch.

"Please keep your body inside the vehicle," Jess deadpanned. "I'd rather not have to explain to your mother how you were beheaded in my car."

"That would be a good way to go, though," Rory reasoned. "She would probably appreciate that. I mean, we're talking about the woman whose always wanted to be able to say 'I'm not feeling well, my leg is haunted'."

"That may be true," Jess nodded. "But I still don't think she'd be too happy about it. I also don't think I'd make it out of that conversation alive, and I've got things I want to do before your mom kills me."

"Like what?" Rory asked, scanning the radio for something good.

"Well I'd like to finish the book I just started, for one."

"That's boring," she frowned at him. "Come on, give me something good, something from your bucket list. What do you want to do more than anything before you die?"

"More than anything?" His forehead wrinkled as he thought about it. "I don't know about more than anything, but I definitely want to go to Papa's Cabin."

"Of course you do," she smiled. "It's nice to know some things never change."

"Meaning?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Meaning, it's nice to know that no matter what happens in life, you will always worship at the shrine of Hemingway."

"What about you?" He asked, ignoring the dig. "What does the great Rory Gilmore want to do before she dies? I assume something to do with travel."

"Definitely," she smiled. "You know me, I want to go everywhere."

"Where do you want to go most?" Jess asked. "I mean, I know you did Europe already, but where else?"

"I really want to go to Asia," she mused. "There are so many amazing things to see there. All that history and the beautiful temples!" She looked like she was ready to swoon.

"That would definitely be cool," Jess agreed.

"What else do you want to do?" Rory asked. "Tell me your greatest hopes and dreams!"

"My greatest hopes and dreams, huh?" His brow furrowed. "I don't know."

"What?" Rory looked shocked. "How can you not know?"

"Well, if you had asked me that a month ago, I would have said that my greatest dream was to find a way to get you back, but now that I have you..."

He pointedly avoided looking at her, his cheeks slightly redder than usual.

"Oh," Rory looked over at him, surprised that he would be so open about that. "That is quite possibly the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Good to know," he smirked. "Now that I have you, though, I want to be able to make a real career out of my writing. I want to make a comfortable living off of it, without having to work anywhere else."

"You want to quit the publishing house?" Rory asked.

"No, but I want the option of quitting the publishing house," Jess shrugged. "What about you? What are your biggest hopes and dreams?"

"Other than becoming the next Christiane Amanpour?"

"Yes, other than that," he smirked.

"I want to win a Pulitzer Prize."

"That's a substantial goal," Jess nodded approvingly. "You always were an overacheiver."

"It's just my nature," she shrugged, then noticed a sign advertising a Dunkin' Donuts at the next exit. "I need coffee."

"We literally just had coffee at your house, less than half an hour ago."

"Have you met me?" Rory demanded. "I am the offspring of Lorelai Gilmore, a woman who, on a regular basis calls herself Cathy Coffee- the bastard offspring of Mrs. Foldger and Juan Valdez."

"Good point," Jess nodded and pulled off the highway.

"You're home!" Matt cried when they walked through the front doors a few hours later. "We missed you!"

"If you try to hug me," Jess warned when he saw his friend rush forward, "I promise that I will beat you to death."

Matt started to pout, so Rory stepped forward and opened her arms.

"Hi, Matt!"

"At least someone loves me!" Matt beamed, picking her up and spinning her around.

"Excuse me?" A short girl with black and purple pixie hair came around the corner, her arms full of books and an annoyed look on her face.

"Hey, Cynthia!" Jess greeted Matt's girlfriend. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"School's a bitch," she shrugged. "Now, who exactly is it that loves you?"

"This is Rory, Jess's girlfriend," Matt introduced them. "Rory, this is Cynthia."

"His girlfriend." The girl reached out and shook Rory's hand.

"More like my personal tormentor," Matt muttered.

"I heard that." Cynthia reached up and smacked the back of his head.

"Ow! See what I mean!?" Matt asked.

"Don't be such a baby," she scolded and turned to Jess. "So, what's new... other than Rory, here?"

"I started writing a new book," Jess shrugged.

"You gonna let me read it?"

"Nope." He dropped his bags on the floor behind the counter and sat down. "Where's Chris?"

"On a date," Cynthia wagged her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah?" Jess smirked. "Did you meet her?"

"I did. I'm pretty sure she's a witch- like a proper, potions and curses witch."

"Well, it's a step up from the last one, then," he shrugged.

"Did you finish those manuscripts yet?" Matt asked, dropping into a chair beside him.

"Did you miss the part where I told you I was writing another book?" Jess asked. "Because, you know, that takes a lot of time."

"Sorry, Hemingway, but you still have a day job," Matt shrugged.

"I did them," Rory sat down on the arm of Jess's chair.

"You're making your girlfriend do you dirty work?" Matt shook his head disapprovingly.

"She offered! I tried to fight her on it, but she wasn't budging."

"Whatever you say, man."

"No, he's right," Rory shrugged. "I offered. I've got the finished copies on my computer, I'll send them back to you once we're settled."

"Wait, you have all of them done?" Matt asked.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"

"No reason," Matt smirked in Jess' direction.

"You're a really slow reader, aren't you?" Rory poked Jess.

"No, I just like to be thorough."

"It's okay," Rory comforted him. "We can't all be as good as I am. Sometimes people are just better off reading books for fun."

"Did I ever tell you that I wrote a book?" Jess asked, sourly.

"Don't worry," Rory ignored him, biting back a smile. "I love you anyways. And remember, the guys said you could always stay on as the cleaning lady when I inevitably take over your job."

"You know, there's a hotel just around the corner," Jess pointed out. "I'm sure you'd be perfectly comfortable there."

She leaned over and kissed his forehead, then went to get her bags from the car.

"I like her," Cynthia smirked. "She's got spunk."

"Not the word people usually use to describe her," Jess thought. "But I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

"What word do people usually use?"

"Nuts, deranged, completely off her rocker?" Matt offered.

"Exactly," Jess agreed. "A lot of variations of those."

"Really?" Cynthia frowned. "I don't see it."

"You will," Matt assured her. "Not that we don't love her, we do! I mean, she's smart and well-read and she's a whole lot easier on the eyes than Jess."

"Excuse me?" Cynthia crossed her arms and glared.

"I said she was easier on the eyes than _him,_ not you! No one could ever be hotter than you!" Matt desperately tried to back track.

"Nice save," Jess chuckled.

"Not so much," Cynthia frowned and sat on the arm of Matt's chair, giving his hair a sharp tug.

"Have I told you how much I love you recently?" He asked, giving her his sweetest smile.

"I don't think she's buying it," Jess stage whispered.

"You're not helping," his friend glared at him.

"I can't be making it any worse," he shrugged and got up. "I should probably go help Rory unload her stuff."

"Wait, no!" Matt called after him. "Don't leave me alone with her! She's mean when we're alone!"

"You usually deserve it!" Jess waved.

"Traitor!"


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The next week was relatively quiet. Rory spent most of her time doing phone interviews and helping out around the store, planning the upcoming open house and doing some extra editing when needed. Along with those tasks, however, was the exciting task of planning the trip she and Lorelai were taking to Atlantic City. Unlike her mother, Rory was a big fan of itinerary's, so she had made a list of all the things they had to do over the weekend, from reenacting her birthday to taking in a show.

"You realize that about four drinks in you're going to completely forget about that microscopic list you've got going there, right?" Jess asked the night before she left, as she finalized everything.

"Ye of little faith," she shook her head at him. "I'll have you know that I'm a very organized drunk. I planned an entire D.A.R event while doing tequila shots once."

"Wow, you really are the perfect girl!" Jess said sarcastically, looking over her packing list. "How many outfits do you need? You're only going for three days!"

"I like being prepared."

"What exactly are you preparing for?" he asked.

"A lot of vomiting and falling over."

"Ah," he decided not to press that conversation any further.

"So are you going to miss me?" She asked, pulling out a suitcase and starting to fill it.

"Absolutely, I don't know how I'll live without you. I might just sit on the couch, watching the door and yelling your name until you come back."

"That's sweet," she smiled. "But keep in mind that I told Chris he's allowed to commit you if you become catatonic in my absence."

"Good to know."

"Don't worry, though. I'll call you every night."

"I'm sure you will," he smiled. "Probably around three in the morning when you're too plastered to read a clock."

"Exactly, so make sure you keep your phone on."

Lorelai pulled up to Truncheon early the next morning to pick Rory up. They were going to drive down together, and then Rory would pick up her own car and take it back to Philly. Unfortunately, she was there far earlier than expected, so both Jess and Rory were still asleep. Matt had an early meeting with one of his poets, though and had already opened the front doors.

"Can I help you?" He asked when Lorelai walked in, looking lost.

"Yeah, hi. I'm looking for Rory."

"And you are?" Matt asked, not wanting to get himself in trouble by letting one of the people Rory had been hiding from into the building.

"Oh, right, sorry. I'm her mom, Lorelai."

"Oh! Okay! Hi, I'm Matt." He rounded the counter and shook her hand. "I'm one of Jess's partners here."

"Well isn't that kinky," Lorelai nodded.

"No, no! Not like that!" Matt rushed to correct her, cheeks burning, but Lorelai just laughed.

"Don't worry, I was kidding. Is Rory here?"

"Uh, she's probably still asleep. I'll show you up to their apartment."

"Thanks." Lorelai smiled and followed the young man up the stairs.

"JESS!" Matt banged on the door at the top of the stairs. "JESS! RISE AND SHINE!"

"Shut up, Matt!" Rory yelled.

From behind the door, Lorelai heard shuffling and then a thud, followed by Rory cursing loudly and Jess laughing.

Finally, she threw the door open, wearing an oversized Dropkick Murphy's t-shirt and looking extremely bedraggled.

"What do you want?" She glared at the man in front of her door, then noticed her mother standing a few steps below. "Oh, hey Mom!"

Lorelai didn't miss the sudden escalation of her tone, obviously trying to warn Jess that they had company.

"You're early... why are you so early?" She leaned against the door frame, obviously still half asleep.

"I heard something about birds and worms and I thought it sounded fun. Plus, Luke had an early delivery and he woke me up when he left the house."

"Ah," Rory nodded. "Well, come on in."

"No, that's okay, my feelings weren't at all hurt when you yelled at me just now!" Matt pouted as Lorelai slipped past him. "And you're welcome for letting your guest in."

"Grow a pair, would you?" Jess called, exiting the bedroom looking slightly more awake than Rory, who just frowned and closed the door in their housemate's face, ignoring the muffled complaints he made as he trudged back downstairs.

"Well, that was lively," Lorelai observed.

"Matt's very colourful," Jess explained. "We try to avoid him before noon."

"I get the feeling that doesn't usually work out."

"It doesn't." Rory snapped, falling onto the couch and burying her face in a pillow.

"I'll make coffee," Jess offered, earning him a thumbs up from his girlfriend.

"So are you excited?" Lorelai demanded, sitting on her daughter's back and jumping up and down a little.

"I find nothing exciting before noon, but there was lots of excitement last night," she mumbled through the pillow.

"Well at least that's something. Are you packed."

Rory nodded, swatting at her mother to get off of her.

"Did you make a list?"

"Of course I made a list. Will you please stop crushing me?"

Lorelai huffed, but relocated to an armchair and allowed her daughter to sit up.

"Why are you here so early again?" Rory asked, looking at the clock, which told her it wasn't even 8 yet.

"Luke woke me up when he was leaving this morning and I couldn't wait until later."

Jess joined them, somehow balancing three coffee cups, and sat down beside Rory.

"So was that your only roommate?" Lorelai asked once Rory had finished her first cup of coffee and perked up a bit.

"No, we have one more. Chris is probably still asleep though," Jess told her.

"Chris didn't come home last night," Rory informed him, filling her mug again.

"So he probably got turned into a newt," Jess reasoned. "In which case, yes, Matt is our only other roommate."

"Does that mean I get his share of the business?" Rory asked.

"I'm sorry, why was he turned into a newt?" Lorelai asked, looking very confused.

"He's dating a witch," Rory told her, matter-of-factly.

"You can have his share as long as the whole newt thing sticks."

"You're worried he'll get better?" Rory asked.

"There's always a chance."

"What do you mean he's dating a witch?" Lorelai asked. "A witch like when your Dad first started bringing Sherry around?"

"No, she's a real witch."

"There's no such thing as witches," Lorelai said.

"If only that were true," Jess sighed. "She's a Wicken. She makes potions and everything."

"Does she wear a pointy hat and carry a broomstick, too?" Lorelai asked, looking amused.

"No, and she's very touchy about people asking her that," Rory mused.

"Well I guess she doesn't appreciate stereotyping," Lorelai shrugged.

Rory drained her second cup of coffee and got to her feet, heading for the bedroom.

"Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready to go. Jess can give you the tour!"

"Okay," Lorelai turned to him expectantly. "Well?"

"This is my apartment," Jess motioned around the room without getting up. "Exit through the gift shop."

"Wow, you suck at this!"

"I don't have very many guests," he shrugged. "I'll work on it."

"Good plan... do you think you have enough books?" Lorelai asked, looking around at all the shelves.

"There's more in here!" Rory called from the bedroom.

"And under the couch," Jess admitted. "Plus a couple of drawers over there, and one of the cupboards in the kitchen."

"God, you really are perfect for each other, aren't you?" Lorelai shook her head in disbelief.

"I'd like to think so," Rory appeared in the doorway smiling. "Hey, be a gem and go take my suitcase downstairs."

"Alright," Jess got up and took the keys Lorelai held out to him, then grabbed Rory's suitcase from their bedroom and trudged down the stairs, leaving the Gilmores alone.

"You can come in here, you know." Rory told her mother, holding the bedroom door open and pulling on a pair of sneakers.

"It's not going to scar me forever?" Lorelai asked nervously.

"Not if you keep your filthy mind shut," her daughter chastised.

"Fine." She huffed and followed her through the door, then sat down on the corner of the bed to watch Rory finish getting ready.

"You weren't kidding!" She exclaimed, taking in the piles of books that covered the walls. "Did shelves not occur to you?"

"He has a system," Rory shrugged. "Plus, shelves take up more room and you might have noticed, we don't exactly have too much of that."

"Yeah, I got that from the lame-o tour I was given."

"He just waved at the kitchen?" Rory guessed, putting on her make-up.

"Yep." Lorelai took in the rest of the room. It was sparsely decorated, a lamp on the bedside table and dark sheets on the bed, the floor was covered in books, loose paper and clothes.

"Sorry, it's a bit messy," Rory apologized. "I've been doing video conference interviews in here, and planning this open house they're having in a couple months, so there's notes and receipts and resumes all over the place."

"That's nice of you. Putting that D.A.R education to use?"

"Exactly. They're all hopeless with that kind of thing. None of them are really good with people."

"Really!" Lorelai pretended to be shocked. "I would never have guessed! How have your interviews been going?"

"Okay," Rory shrugged and joined her mother on the bed. "I mean, they always seem to go fine, but I haven't gotten any calls back yet."

"I'm sure something will come up," Lorelai assured her. "You just have to give it time."

"I know," Rory sighed. "I just hate the waiting. Are you ready to go?"

She jumped up, trying not to dwell on her fruitless job hunting.

"If you are," Lorelai agreed.

"Alright, let's go."

"Call me when you get there," Jess told her as they said good-bye.

"I will," Rory promised. "Don't do anything too crazy while I'm gone."

"What are we qualifying as crazy?" Jess asked.

Rory just glared and kissed him.

"Hey! Quit sucking face and get in the car!" Lorelai honked impatiently. "I'm getting old here."

"See you when I get back!"

"Have fun."

"Bye Rory!" Matt called from the building. "We'll miss you!"

"Bye!" Rory waved to him, gave Jess one more kiss, then jumped into the car with her mom.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The first phone call came that night around 11, after they had found a billboard advertising Paul Anka.

"Jess!" Rory screamed into the phone when he answered.

"Geez, Ror!" He held the phone a couple inches from his ear. "Inside voice!"

"Sorry," she giggled. "But you'll never guess what we found!"

"What?"

"Guess!" She demanded.

Jess had never experienced drunk Rory before, but he imagined she would be something like tired Rory- stubborn, but thoroughly entertaining.

"A monk, a trunk and a skunk?"

"You're funny," she laughed. "No, we found Paul Anka! The real one, not the dog one." She clarified, her tone far more serious than it needed to be.

"That's great. Are you going to go see him?"

"Of course! And we're going to sneak backstage and tell him about dog Paul Anka, and he's going to be so psyched!"

"I'm sure he is," Jess agreed.

There was a muffled voice on the other end of the phone, which Rory shouted back at.

"Okay, I've gotta go! We're going to play video poker, which is totally Mom's calling."

Before Jess could even say good-bye, she had already hung up and presumably run off to join her mother. Jess got the feeling that this was going to be a very long weekend.

She called him again at three in the morning, and left a message telling him about how they'd gone to a karaoke bar where she'd dedicated her song to him, and then met someone who had read his book and was now her best friend. There was also mention of bringing her new best friend home to meet him, but seeing as she couldn't even remember his name anymore, Jess figured that the likelihood of that actually happening was pretty low.

The next day there were a few calls during the day where she sounded relatively sober, although he doubted that she was. From the way she had been describing their plans, he figured it would take her the rest of the month to get all the alcohol out of her system.

She called around two in the morning that night.

"I'm twenty-one!" She screamed. "Whoo!"

In the background, he could hear her mother screaming along with her, along with the cheers of multiple other people, so he figured they were still in the casino.

"You've been twenty-one for a while," he pointed out, but she didn't seem to care.

"But now it's official!"

"Okay."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sleeping," he sighed. "That's what normal people do at two in the morning."

"That's so boring!" She cried. "Sleep is for the weak! We have to go shopping now!"

"Why are you shopping at two in the morning?"

"Because we won! Bye! I love you!"

"I love you too," Jess sighed, then hung up and went back asleep.

"We found Luke's twin!" She screamed when he answered the next night.

"Excuse me?"

"We saw this guy and I swear to God, he is Luke's identical twin! So now we're following him so we can get his picture!"

"Have you slept yet?" Jess asked.

"Nope! Bye, see you tomorrow!"

"You are going to have the worst hangover ever," Jess told her before she could hang up.

"Don't be a killjoy!" She snapped, then hung up and returned to tracking down Luke's twin.

Their drive home consisted of silence and copious amounts of coffee. Jess had been right in predicting their massive hangovers, but they were both determined to shake them before they got back to Stars Hollow, neither of them wanting to give Luke and Jess the satisfaction of knowing they were right. By the time they hit New Haven, they were both back to their usual perky selves- through the power of strong coffee and sheer force of will- and trying to remember the intricate details of their trip so they could relay them to Luke.

"Look who's back!" Lorelai cried when they entered the diner around lunch, bags in hand.

"Why, I believe it's those adorable Gilmore Girls!" Rory joined in. "I hear they're different now. A little sad."

"A little broke," her mother amended.

"Don't you two believe in jet lag?" Luke asked, obviously not as excited to see them as they were to be back.

"No way!" Lorelai sat down at a table and dropped her bags on the floor and accepting the cup of coffee Luke handed her.

"What's different?" She asked, after trying it.

"No Kahlua."

"Right! Which reminds me, sorry about all the drunken late night phone calls."

"What late night phone calls?" Luke asked, causing Lorelai to look at her daughter in confusion. "Uh, so do you want to know about the parts of our trip we _can_ tell you about?"

"I'm not sure," Luke frowned and sat down.

"Well, video poker is my calling, I've decided to sell the Inn and dedicate my life to it, especially this one machine, in the second row, when you first walk into Trump Taj Majal,"

"I'm more of a roulette girl," Rory explained. "But we played 21 while we pretended I was tunring 21 and we actually won and bought our twenty one things!"

"And we got these!" Lorelai pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and slammed it on the table.

"Twenty one guys phone numbers," Rory explained proudly. "And oddly enough, no one questioned us when we told them our names were Wendy and Lisa."

"How was Paul Anka?" Luke asked, deciding it would be best to leave the list of phone numbers alone.

"We didn't see him," Lorelai pouted.

"What? That was all you could talk about on the phone!?"

"The billboard was old, and the show had actually closed a week earlier. But we went to see Tony Danza instead, and he was sublime!"

"They definitely didn't put his dancing skills to use in Taxi," Lorelai agreed. "But, we did get you a Paul Anka t-shirt!"

She pulled a yellow shirt out of one of her bags and handed it to him.

"Wear it tonight," she told him, in her most comedically seductive voice.

"Okay," Luke started to get up. "I'm making you burgers."

"Wait, you haven't heard the best part!" Lorelai stopped him.

"Oh yeah!" Rory laughed. "So we were walking-"

"Well, sort of walking, more drunk girls in high heels stumbling," Lorelai corrected.

"And we saw this guy," Rory continued.

"And, Luke, my hand to God, it's you!"

"Luke 2.0."

"We came face to face with your doppelganger!"

"So we followed him," Rory continued.

"Because we had to!" Lorelai continued. "And then he went into this night club, so we followed him."

"Because we're stalkers, completely obsessed with meeting him."

"So we follow him into this club, and he goes backstage-"

"Because he's in the biz."

"So we snuck behind the curtain and tracked him down, and told him all about you!" Lorelai explained proudly. "And then I showed him your picture, and he totally freaked out with us!"

"Wait, I got it!" Rory leaned down and pulled a picture out of her bag, handing it to Luke.

"Luke, I want you to meet Derek, your identical twin separated at birth," Lorelai beamed.

"This is a man dressed like Dolly Parton," Luke said, looking at the picture. "You think I look like a man dressed like Dolly Parton?!"

"Well, a little less make-up," Lorelai conceded. "But look at the chins!"

"I'm gonna go get your burgers," he sighed and got up, leaving them to continue laughing over their discovery.

"He missed us," Rory giggled.

"Definitely," Lorelai agreed. "So when are you heading back to Jess's?"

"I'll probably leave as soon as we finish lunch, I want to get back there in time for dinner."

"And when are you coming back?"

"We'll be back for Christmas in a couple weeks," Rory promised.

"You're going to stay with me for Christmas, right?" Lorelai asked. "You're not going to sleep at the diner?"

"Of course not! We have traditions to uphold!"

"Good!" Lorelai smiled.

"Hot plates!" Luke warned, putting their food in front of them.

"Thanks, Luke!"

"Oh, I got your car out of the garage and put some gas in it for you," Luke told Rory.

"You didn't have to do that!"

"I just wanted to make sure it was running fine after being in storage for two months, it was no big deal."

"Thanks," Rory smiled at him.

They spent the rest of lunch telling Luke every detail of their weekend, much to his chagrin, until Rory had to leave.

"I'll see you soon!" She promised her mother.

"Oh! Sookie and I are starting wedding plans this week!" Lorelai suddenly remembered.

"Keep me updated," Rory ordered.

"Of course. You get the final say on everything."

"Good. Bye, Luke!"

"Bye!" He waved from the doorway, then quickly ducked inside to yell at Kirk about something.

Three hours later, Rory pulled up in front of Truncheon and unpacked her car, desperately trying to get everything in one trip.

"Hey!" Chris greeted her as she entered the store. "How was your trip."

"Fantastic!" She beamed. "Did I miss anything interesting?"

"The witch tried to curse me," he grimaced.

"You really need to be more selective about your dates," Rory shook her head.

"I know. Hey, do you have any friends you could set me up with?"

"Not in Philadelphia," she laughed. "Why don't you try meeting girls somewhere other than the internet?"

"Internet dating is the future, Rory."

"Okay," she shrugged and headed for the stairs. "But don't come crying to me when your next date ends up being Dr. Frankenfurter."

When she got up to the apartment, she found the door locked and suddenly realized that even though she had been living there for close to two months now, she still didn't have a key. It hadn't been a problem before, but now her bags were slipping and she was getting a cramp in her arm.

"JESS!" She cried, kicking the door. "Jess, let me in!"

"Hold on!" He called from inside.

"JESS! Bags slipping!" she tried to balance everything using the door, but this only made the problem worse, and now there was a shooting pain going up and down her arm. "JESS! I have a cramp!" She kicked the door again.

"Will you hang on!" He snarled, turning the lock.

As he swung the door open, she lost her grip and dropped everything on the floor.

"Geez!" He jumped back to avoid getting hit by the avalanche of gift shop crap that now covered the floor.

"I tried to tell you," she shrugged. "But you had to take your sweet time answering the door."

"It was ten seconds."

"That's a long time!" She argued. "But this moment has made me realize that if I'm going to be staying here, I'm going to need a key."

"I know that," Jess turned and grabbed something off a side table. "Which is why I got this while you were gone."

He held up a key, attached to a chain with a book on the end.

"Aw! Thanks!" She smiled and took it from him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "It's so cute."

"I thought you'd like it," he shrugged. "Plus, now you'll know which key it is."

"I do like it! Thank you." She beamed at him, then looked down at the floor. "Help me clean this up and I'll give you your present."

"I bet it's not as good as mine."

"It's not a competition," she frowned.

"Sure it's not."

"Just help."

"How much crap did you buy?" Jess asked as they collected all the knick knacks.

"A lot," she admitted. "We were way too drunk to know what we were doing, we probably shouldn't have been left unsupervised."

"That's reassuring."

"Do you want your present or not?"

"I don't know, this seems a little sketchy." He frowned at the bags scattered all over the floor, then smirked when he saw her glaring at him.

"Fine, yes! I want my present."

"Good!" She grabbed the bag closest to her and pulled out a yellow t-shirt. "Here you go!"

"A Paul Anka t-shirt!" He feigned excitement. "Thanks!"

"We got you and Luke matching ones," she smirked.

"Awesome. How was Paul Anka, by the way?"

"We didn't get to see him," she frowned. "The billboard was old, so we saw Tony Danza instead, and he was awesome!"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know why Taxi never utilized his musical comedy skills!"

"It's one of the world's great mysteries," Jess shrugged. "How was the rest of your weekend, other than the parts you told me about when you called?"

"What exactly did I tell you about?"

"Well, let's see," Jess thought. "There was the first night, when you called to tell me about the song you dedicated to me, and your new best friend that you were planning on bringing home. You didn't remember your new friend's name, however."

"Oh, yeah!" She smiled. "That was a good night, I told him all about you."

"Did you give him my phone number too?"

"Of course not, he might have been a stalker," she shrugged, as if this were obvious.

"Of course," Jess rolled his eyes. "What song was it, exactly, that you dedicated to me?"

"It was either a Coyote Ugly-esque version of One Way or Another, or Suffragette City."

"Moving on," Jess shook his head. "You also called me after your 'playing 21 while turning 21' debacle to tell me that you were going shopping-"

"Twenty-one things!" She beamed, pointing to the other bags. "We now have Addams Family shot glasses and glow in the dark coasters!"

"I don't know how I've lived without those for this long."

"Did I tell you about Luke's twin!?" She demanded, digging around for the picture.

"I think you were in the middle of stalking him when you called."

"You got a lot of drunken late night calls, didn't you?" She wrinkled her nose. "Sorry."

"That's okay," he shrugged. "If nothing else, you're an entertaining drunk caller."

"Well at least that's something. Now, I'd like you to meet Derek McKinney, Luke's twin separated at birth."

She handed him the photo, and watched as his face turned from a look of disbelief to complete joy.

"Please tell me you showed this to Luke!"

"Of course!" She beamed. "But for some reason, he wasn't as excited as we were."

"I can't imagine why. I'm putting this up on the fridge!"

"Oh! Here!" Rory grabbed another bag and fished around before whipping out a fridge magnet.

"Good God!" Jess groaned, reading the magnet- _Oh snap! It's onomatopoeia._ "Where the hell did you find this?"

"The same place I found these!" She pulled two more boxes out of the bag and set them on the coffee table. The first was a box of Scrabble fridge magnets, and the second a magnetic poetry set.

"You're really committed to that whole becoming a poet thing, aren't you?" Jess frowned.

"Come on! It'll be fun!"

"Sure it will," he nodded. "So what else did you do on your trip?"

She told him the full story of meeting Luke's twin, along with the other mentionable things they had done, from learning Roulette was her calling to discovering that her mother really was the master of making friends with bartenders.

"All in all, it was a very successful weekend, and we are now very broke."

"Well, I may be able to help with that," Jess said, sitting back down.

"What are you talking about?"

"While you were gone, the guys and I were talking and we were thinking that, if you wanted to, we were going to offer you a job."

"Here?" Rory asked.

"Well, yeah." He shrugged. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but you've been doing a ton of work around here anyways so we could obviously use the extra help. You could write articles for the zine, too if you wanted."

He watched her as he spoke, trying to gauge her reaction.

"I mean, it's fine if you don't want to, it was just a thought."

"No, I want to," she nodded. "That would actually be great."

"Okay," Jess smiled. "In that case, welcome to the team!"

"Happy to be here." She smiled back. "Thank you."

"It's not big deal," he shrugged.

"No, it's a very big deal," Rory argued. "And I really do appreciate it. Did you get a lot of writing done while I was gone?" She changed the subject, realizing Jess was embarrassed.

"Some," he shrugged. "Nothing ground breaking, though."

"Can I read it?"

"No."

"Why not? I work here now, I could help you edit it!"

"Not a chance. Are you hungry?"

"Don't change the subject!" Rory cried. "Why won't you let me read it?"

"I don't let anyone read my stuff until it's ready to be published," he shrugged. "But I promise, when it's done, you'll be the first person to read it."

"Fine," she huffed.

"So, food?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"Christmas is two weeks away," Rory announced while they were eating breakfast later in the week.

"I know that," Jess nodded.

"And we don't have any Christmas decorations."

"We're going to Stars Hollow for Christmas next week, there will be all sorts of Christmas decorations," he pointed out. "It'll be Christmas on acid."

"But that's a week away, and I'm in the Christmas spirit _now,_ " Rory informed him. "So we're going to decorate the store, and then we're going to decorate the apartment."

"Rory," Jess moaned.

"Nope. It's happening," she shrugged. "You have absolutely no say in the matter."

"We don't have any decorations," he tried.

"I'll soon fix that. Now, are you going to come with me, or do you just want to be surprised?"

"You think I'm letting you Christmas shop without supervision?" Jess demanded, following her into their bedroom to get dressed. "I have no desire to find plastic, light up reindeer on the roof."

"How am I going to get reindeer on the roof?"

"I'm sure you would figure something out," he grimaced.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Hurry up, I want to get downstairs done before lunch."

She pulled on a festive sweater and wrapped a scarf around her neck, hopping around excitedly.

"I'll meet you downstairs!" She called, running off to tell the others what she was planning.

"Seriously?" Chris asked Jess when he came downstairs. "Do we really look like Christmas people?"

"Hey, do you want to tell her no?" Jess challenged.

They both looked over at Rory, who was running around the store telling Matt all her ideas, grinning from ear to ear.

"No," Chris grimaced.

"Exactly. Let the woman decorate, it won't kill us."

"You've gone soft," Chris shook his head. "She's made you soft."

"Hey, you can't say no to her either," Jess pointed out. "She made us all soft."

"Jess, come on!" Rory called from the door.

"Have fun!" Chris called after them, making Jess turn and glare at him as they left.

They started at the Salvation Army, picking up piles of tinsel and strings of lights in all different colours.

"I think that's enough," Jess observed when she put a third box of lights in the cart.

"We need enough for the store, the apartment _and_ the tree," she told him. "That's a lot of lights."

Jess just rolled his eyes and helped her lift another box off the shelf.

From the Salvation Army they moved on to Value Village, where she collected all sorts of bits and bobs for the tree she planned on getting for their apartment, along with some window decorations.

"Is that it?" Jess asked as they were loading the bags into the car.

"Not even close," Rory shook her head.

"What else could you possibly need?" He asked. "We have lights, we have tinsel, we have tree ornaments... what else is there?"

"Well, for one thing, a tree."

Jess grimaced at the thought of the mess they were going to have in their living room.

"Don't make that face," Rory scolded. "I've decided to compromise."

"You're going to put a picture up, like I suggested?" he asked hopefully.

"No, that would be stupid. I'm going to get a fake tree and stick a pine scented air freshener in it."

"Well it's better than a real tree," he sighed. "Where do you plan on getting this fake tree?"

"Wal-Mart. Do you still have that employee discount?" She smirked.

"You're a cruel woman," Jess shook his head and pushed her towards her car door.

"Doesn't it just fill you with happy, nostalgic memories?" She asked as they walked through the automatic doors a few minutes later.

"No. Can we make this quick?"

"You're no fun," Rory put her arm through his and leaned against him as he pushed the cart to the seasonal section. "You're the Grinch! You're Scrooge!"

"I'm glad you've finally noticed."

She glared at him for a minute, then started throwing things into the cart.

"Why are you buying stockings? We're not going to be here for Christmas."

"Yes, but we can still hang up stockings."

Jess let out a heavy sigh and put his head on the cart handle.

"Help me lift this into the cart!" She was dragging a box that appeared to contain a tree, off of a shelf. "This is heav- Oh my God!" She dropped the box and rushed across the aisle to a display of tree ornaments. "These are perfect!"

She grabbed a large box and hurried over to Jess, who was struggling to get the tree she had dropped into the cart.

"Look!"

"I'm a little busy."

"Just tip it in," she told him. "Now look at these!"

She waved the box in front of his face, jumping up and down excitedly.

"I can't see if you keep moving it!" He told her, taking the box.

It was a collection of literary ornaments, all filled with pieces of paper with lines from classic novels- Anna Karenina, Alice in Wonderland, even some Hemingway, much to his delight.

"Okay, I admit, these are pretty cool."

"See! I told you!" She beamed, still jumping around like a child.

He just smiled and pulled her into his side, kissing the side of her head.

"You're ridiculous."

"I'm festive," she corrected. "There's a difference. Now come on, I have a house to decorate."

As they headed to the checkout she threw a few more knick knacks in, including some candles and Santa hats for everyone. She got classic ones for herself and Matt, and black ones that read 'Bah-Humbug!' for Jess and Matt.

"We're not going to wear those," Jess told her as they drove home.

"You say that now, but just wait until I start spreading the Christmas cheer, you'll be dying to wear your hat."

"You're insane."

Once all their purchases were inside Jess left her to her own devices, hiding in their bedroom to write while she ordered Matt and Chris around downstairs. He didn't emerge until she came running upstairs for lunch.

"You have to come look, it's so beautiful!" She gushed.

"I'm sure it's great," Jess agreed. "I'll check it out later."

"Are you going to help me decorate the apartment this afternoon?"

"No, I'm going to write a book."

"Scrooge!" Rory frowned, then turned to the kitchen to make herself Mac and Cheese.

"I'll tell you what," he offered. "I'll help you put the tree together and decorate it tonight."

"Really?" She beamed.

"If it will make you happy," he sighed.

"I love you!" She ran over and kissed his cheek.

"Your pot is boiling over."

"Damn!"

She hadn't been lying about the store looking nice. When Jess wandered down later that afternoon in an attempt to hide from her decorating frenzy, he thought that he had inadvertently stepped through a wardrobe and ended up in Santa's Village. She had even managed to make some of the craziest paintings they had up look like they belonged.

"Wow, she wasn't kidding," he observed.

"She's very festive," Chris cringed. "There's tinsel on the bookshelves."

"I can see that," Jess nodded.

"Isn't it great!?" Matt asked, joining them behind the counter. "It's so great having someone else here to spread the holiday cheer!"

"We're glad you're happy," Chris deadpanned.

Matt either didn't notice how unimpressed they were, or had elected to ignore them, because he just ran off to help a customer that had walked in, leaving Jess and Chris to brood.

"Did she show you the hats?" Jess asked.

"What hats?"

"She bought Santa hats."

"And you thought that was wise?" Chris demanded.

"She did. I told her we wouldn't wear them. She seemed to think I was wrong."

"Well I'll be more than happy to take your side on that one."

"I appreciate that," Jess thanked him. "I should probably go make sure Cindy Lou hasn't completely covered the apartment in tinsel and lights."

"Probably a good plan," Chris agreed.

"Hey, thanks for letting her do this, though."

"She lives here too," he shrugged. " And works here. If she wants to decorate, she should decorate. Plus, I don't actually think anyone is capable of saying no to her, especially not anyone who works here."

"There are a few brave souls," Jess assured him.

"Are you one of them?"

"I have my moments!"

"Ha!" Matt strolled past them, accompanied by a girl Jess assumed was a University student, judging by the books she was carrying.

"Nobody asked you," Jess called after him. "I'm going to go back to work."

"Can you open tomorrow?" Chris asked him as he headed for the stairs. "I have a bunch of meetings with authors."

"Sure," Jess nodded.

"Thanks, man."

"It looks like Santa threw up in here!" Jess cried when he walked into the apartment.

"I know!" Rory beamed. She had put her Santa hat on and had tinsel wrapped around her neck like a scarf, and she was playing Christmas music from her laptop. "Isn't is great!?"

"It's a good thing I like you," he sighed.

"Come on, it's pretty!" She pushed, motioning to the strings of lights she had put up across the bookshelves and in the windows. "Are you ready to put up the tree? I thought we could order Chinese and work on it."

"Did you order already?" Jess asked, moving towards the drawer of take-out menus.

"Not yet. If you order, I'll get the tree open."

"Deal." He grabbed the phone and started to dial, watching anxiously as Rory tried to open the box with an X-acto knife. "Please don't cut your hand off," he pleaded.

"I'm not going to cut my hand off! Pay attention to the phone." She started stabbing at the tape, which didn't make Jess feel any better about giving her a sharp implement, but eventually got the box open without maiming herself.

"Food will be here in half an hour," He reported, sitting down on the couch across from where she sat on the floor.

"Okay, let's start putting this together. Help me find the instructions."

"We don't need instructions," Jess waved her off. "It's a tree. How hard can it be?"

"No, we have to follow the instructions," she insisted.

"Life's more fun without instructions."

He got up from the couch and started taking everything out of the box, looking for the stand.

"Here they are!" Rory cried, grabbing a small booklet from the bottom of the box victoriously. "Okay, we need the stand first."

"I know that," Jess said, motioning to the item in his hand. "Seriously, I'm sure we can figure this out without instructions."

"Let me be," Rory swatted at him as he tried to grab the booklet.

"Put large stick on stand, attach smaller sticks to large stick. It's not that hard."

"I just don't want to mess it up!"

"Fine," he sighed and sat down beside her. "Tell me when you're ready."

She read the booklet closely, looking between the book and the pieces, figuring out what went where and how it all attached.

"Okay," she finally put it down. "I think I have it figured out."

"Me too," Jess nodded. He got up and grabbed the piece that acted as a tree trunk, attaching it to the stand. She ignored him and started sorting the branches by size, then passed them up one by one so Jess could attach them.

"Is it just me, or is this tree kind of pathetic?" Jess asked once it was all put together.

"You have to primp it," Rory said.

"Excuse me?"

"You have to spread the needles and branches so they look bigger, like this." She walked over and started moving the branches around to make them fuller. She was halfway through when her phone started to ring.

"Can you get that?" She asked Jess, seeing as she was stuck between the tree and one of the bookshelves.

"Hello?... Oh, hi Lorelai. She's primping the tree... I don't know... Rory, come talk to your Mom."

"Just a second," she attempted to extricate herself from behind the tree, but tripped over the stand and fell on her face.

"You okay?" Jess asked, an amused look on his face.

"Just hand me the phone," she grumbled, pulling herself into a seated position. "Hi, Mom."

"Hey, you sound peeved."

"I just fell."

"Oh, are you okay?" Lorelai asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just not a big fan of our Christmas tree right now."

"You got a Christmas tree?!"

"Yes! I've spent the entire day spreading Christmas cheer throughout the entire building!" Rory said proudly. "Jess and I went and bought decorations this morning-"

"Wait, I'm sorry, _Jess_ went Christmas decoration shopping?" Lorelai interrupted, obviously shocked by this revelation.

"He wouldn't let me go unsupervised," Rory explained. "He thought I was going to come back with giant reindeer to put up on the roof, or something."

"Ah, that makes much more sense. Resume your story."

"Thank you. So we went and got piles of decorations and I spent the entire day decorating the store and the apartment, and now Jess is helping me put the tree together."

"You got a fake tree!?" Lorelai gasped.

"It was the only way I could get one," she grumbled. "Scrooge here didn't want to clean up the mess of a real one. But I stuck a pine scented air freshener in it, so at least the apartment smells good."

"Well when you get back here, we'll get a real tree and we'll have real Christmas."

"Perfect. So, were you just calling to chat?"

"No, I'm calling to tell you that I planned my wedding."

"Oh, you and Sookie got started?"

"No, we finished. Everything's done."

"What do you mean everything's done?" Rory asked. "When did you start planning?"

"This morning. We were going to this store to look at invitations, and we got lost and found a dress store, and we went inside- you know, just for kicks- and there it was."

"There what was?"

"The perfect dress," Lorelai sighed. "The most perfect dress there has ever been. So I checked and it was my size, so I put it on and it fit perfectly- no alterations at all- _and_ it was on sale!"

"Wow, that _is_ perfect," Rory agreed.

"Exactly, so I bought it and everything fell into place. The dress is strapless, so summer wedding."

"Of course."

"And summer wedding means daisies, so that was the flowers done, and the invitation place had the most beautiful daisy invitations, so I buy those, and the store is having a promotion where they print the invitations and mail them for you and handle the RSVPs- which is fantastic, because we both know I was going to hate doing that. Then we went to get some coffee, and in the window of the coffee shop is an advertisement for the most beautiful church, and do you know where the church is?"

"No."

"Right around the corner, so we went and talked to Pastor Todd. And the church was beautiful, and it has a function hall behind it, with beautiful floor to ceiling windows and doors that open out to a garden that has the most beautiful old carousel from 1850, which is going to be fully restored and working by June 3rd, which is the date of my wedding."

"Wow!"

" _And_ the Pastor was having a special, so I rented the church and he gave me the hall for half price and threw in the carousel for free, and his sister runs a catering company which Sookie blessed and everything is done."

"Wow," Rory repeated. "That was a lot of work for one day."

"I'm nothing if not productive," Lorelai bragged. "I got your dress, too."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yep, and I have two words for you- hoop skirt."

"Nice!"

"In a lovely shade of tangerine," she continued.

"Excellent!"

"As soon as I saw it I thought, this is so Rory if only it had more ruffles!"

"Of course you did," Rory sighed. "Did you get me shoes too?"

"Of course, they sparkle and light up."

"See, now you're just getting my hopes up," she frowned. "I would love shoes that light up."

"I'll buy you a pair for Christmas," Jess offered from the couch.

"What are you doing?" Rory asked, putting the phone to her shoulder and looking over at him.

"I'm sorting out these ornaments and getting rid of the crap ones."

"There are no crap ones, they're all good! Stop that!"

"They are not _all_ good!" Jess scoffed. "These ones have Care Bears on them."

He held up one of the boxes she had collected at the salvation army.

"What's going on?" Lorelai called, feeling left out.

"Jess is ruining Christmas!" Rory complained. "I have to go before he tries to throw out all the ornaments for the tree."

"Okay, bye Sweets!"

"Bye." Rory snapped her phone shut and scrambled over to the couch, snatching the boxes away from Jess.

"We are not putting Care Bear ornaments up on our Christmas tree," he told her.

"Fine, but who knows what else you'd try to get rid of!" She cried, sorting through the box of rejects he had started. "Some of these are perfectly fine. I mean, we can do without the My Little Pony one, or the half naked bar chick ones... but these are fine!"

She pulled out a handful of neon coloured baubles.

"They're hideous," Jess cringed. "They probably glow in the dark."

"How is that not a selling point?"

"We're not all as crazy as you," he grumbled. "Pick different baubles."

"Fine!" She grumbled and grabbed another box, sorting the contents on the floor. While she was sorting, the food came, so they took a quick break to energize, then got back to their bickering.

"Isn't it pretty?" Rory asked when they finally finished, taking a step back to admire their work.

"Sure," Jess nodded.

"Come on, it's pretty!" Rory poked him. "You're just not getting the full feel. Here."

She ran over and turned on the the tree lights, then turned off all the lights in the apartment and joined him again.

"Now what do you think?" She asked, beaming up at him.

"I think, that if it makes you happy, it's great."

She reached up and kissed him.

"Just admit it's pretty."

"I'm not going to say it's pretty," Jess stood his ground. "I do not refer to things as 'pretty'."

"You don't think I'm pretty?" She sulked.

"I think you're beautiful," he smirked.

"Well, I guess I can't fault you for that. Come on, I'm exhausted."

"That's because you've spent the entire day running around pretending to be one of Santa's elves," Jess pointed out.

"It was worth it, though."

The smile she'd had plastered across her face all day was enough to make Jess agree, despite his generally gloomy demeanour.

"Yeah, it was," he agreed, causing her smile to get even brighter.

Rory was in the middle of writing a book review for the Truncheon zine when her mother called the next night.

"Hi, just give me a minute to finish my thought," she answered the phone and continued typing.

"Okay, I'm done. Can I just tell you how great it is to be writing again? God! I don't know what I was thinking walking away from all this!"

"Luke has a kid," Lorelai interrupted.

"What?"

"Luke has a kid," her mother repeated. "A daughter."

"What? How?" Rory stammered.

"He just told me," Lorelai explained. "He has a daughter, she's twelve. He found out about her a month ago."

"Wow."

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed, and Rory could tell by the sound of her voice that she had been crying.

"How do you feel about that?" She asked.

"Well I'm not exactly thrilled that he waited more than a month to tell me, I mean, what does that say about our relationship?"

"Mom, don't think like that," Rory tried to comfort her. "I'm sure he wasn't hiding it because he didn't trust you. He was probably just trying to figure out the right way to tell you- this is really big."

"I know that!" Lorelai cried. "Which is why he should have told me!"

"I'm sure he just didn't want to hurt you," Rory tried.

"Honestly, I don't care why he didn't tell me," Lorelai admitted. "I just want to know what this means for us now."

"Well, what did he say?"

"Nothing. He says he wants a relationship with her- which is great, I'm not saying he shouldn't get to know his daughter, I just want to know what this means for us!"

"Then you need to talk to him about it," Rory insisted.

"I know, I know," Lorelai agreed.

"I'm sure everything will work out," Rory assured her. "You guys just need to talk things out."

"I know," Lorelai repeated. "I better go, I told him I'd meet him at the diner once I'd digested all this."

"Okay," Rory nodded. "If you need to talk some more, you know you can always call me."

"I know," Lorelai agreed. "Thanks, kid."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too."

"What was that about?" Jess asked after she put the phone down.

"Luke has a daughter," Rory told him, then saw the guilty look on his face. "You knew?"

Jess nodded, refusing to meet her eyes.

"He told me before thanksgiving," he admitted. "I told him to tell Lorelai, but he said he needed to digest it himself before he told her."

"So you just kept it to yourself?" Rory demanded, her voice filling with anger.

"It wasn't my secret to tell," Jess said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I wanted to tell you, I kept telling Luke that he needed to tell Lorelai, but I wasn't about to do it."

Rory stared at him for a minute, then let out a sigh, the anger seeming to leave her.

"I guess you're right," she huffed. "It's just, this is a huge thing to keep hidden in a relationship!"

"I know," Jess agreed.

"You don't have any kids floating around that I don't know about, do you?"

"Not that I know of," he assured her.

"Good, because I don't think I could deal with that."

"Me neither," he shook his head. "I can barely wrap my head around the idea of Luke having a kid."

"Yeah," she sighed and dropped onto the couch beside him. "Have you met her?"

"He's barely met her," Jess shook his head. "Luke said that she came in and stole a piece of his hair for a science project to figure out who her father was. He only found out because he went to the science fair."

"Mom says he wants contact," Rory said.

"I figured he would," Jess shrugged. "You know how he is about family, you really think he would just walk away from his own kid?"

"I guess," Rory agreed. "Wow, Luke with a kid..."

"Yep," Jess nodded. "It's a crazy world."

"Ya." They sat in silence for a few minutes, digesting the information, then Rory went back to her review and Jess went back to writing- both of them trying to wrap their heads around the situation in Star's Hollow.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

When they pulled up to the Crap Shack the next week, Luke was on a ladder putting up the Christmas lights .

"You're here!" Lorelai screamed, running from her post holding the ladder to greet her daughter.

"Lorelai!" Luke called after her, grabbing the eaves to keep from falling.

"Right, sorry!" She gave Rory a quick squeeze, then dashed back to steady the ladder.

"Wow, it looks amazing!" Rory commented, admiring the lights and decorations covering the house. "Did you do the inside too?"

"Of course not," Lorelai shook her head. "That's for me and you to do."

"Good. We're going to go put our stuff inside."

"Okay. I pulled the trundle out from under your bed and made it."

"What's a trundle?" Rory asked, looking confused.

"You know, the bed with the bed underneath that you can pull out to make another bed?" Lorelai explained. "They're like bunk beds for wimps."

"Oh! I don't think the second bed is called a trundle."

"Whatever," Lorelai waved her off. "Whatever you want to call it, it's set up."

"Since when do I have a trundle bed?"

"Since I bought one," Lorelai shrugged. "It was on sale and it looked adorable."

"Okay then," Rory shrugged and pulled her bag from the trunk. "Have you pulled the decorations out yet, or do we have to brave the attic?"

"I did it yesterday," Luke called down. "You two really need to clean up there, it looks like a bunch of hoarders live here."

" _You_ live here," Lorelai pointed out.

"But none of that crap is mine."

"Hey, that stuff is not crap!" Lorelai cried, mildly insulted. "Those are memories from our life journey!"

"That's what you said about the crap in the garage," Rory pointed out.

"And I stand by it! It's not my fault you're not sentimental."

"Do you not remember Hug A World?" Rory demanded.

"I remember Hug A Canada," Lorelai said. "I also remember offering to let you keep it until it ran away."

"I'm sorry?" Luke interrupted them.

"Something was living in it," Rory cringed.

"And that is why you get rid of things," Luke turned back to Lorelai.

"We're going to go inside now," Jess interrupted. "Before this gets ugly."

Lorelai and Luke ignored them, suddenly engaged in a staring contest over whether or not the attic would get cleaned out.

When Luke finally gave up his attic argument, they finished putting up the lights and joined Jess and Rory inside.

"Do we dare stay?" Jess asked Luke, watching nervously as the girls started pulling stuff out of boxes.

"Where's the Christmas tree?" Rory looked around. "We can't start without a Christmas tree!"

"You're right," Lorelai nodded. "Luke, we need to go get a Christmas tree."

"I have a business to run," he pointed out.

"Lane's there, you're fine," Lorelai waved him off. "We need a tree!"

"You have a car," Luke pointed out.

"Yes, but we need a big strong man to carry it for us."

"You've successfully gotten yourselves a tree for the last nineteen years without my help, you can do it again," Luke argued.

"Yes, but we only got them home because Mom used to flirt with the guys at the nursery until one of them offered to deliver the tree," Rory explained.

"I mean, that would still work," Lorelai shrugged. "But I thought you might not be as big a fan of it as we've been over the years."

"Fine," he huffed. "Get in the truck."

"Yay!" Lorelai and Rory jumped up and down for a couple seconds, then ran to the door.

"I'll go to the diner and make sure everything's good," Jess offered.

"You can't leave me alone with them!" Luke cried.

"Your truck only fits three people, sorry." Jess smirked and headed to the door. "Hey, Ror!"

"Traitor!" Luke snarled as he passed him.

"I'm going to go keep things running at the diner, text me when you're on your way back."

"You don't want to come with us?" She pouted.

"Believe me, I would love to," he lied. "But someone has to make sure the diner doesn't burn down, and Luke's truck only fits three."

"Okay," she sighed. "But you're going to miss out on all the fun!"

"You can tell me all about it later." He kissed her, then turned and smirked at Luke, who was watching them completely dumbfounded.

"How the hell did you do that?" He demanded once the girls were both in the truck.

"I'm just gifted," Jess shrugged. "Have fun Christmas tree shopping."

Nothing could have prepared Luke for the chaos involved in a Gilmore Girl Christmas, even before Rory had gotten home Lorelai had been crazy. Shopping for a Christmas tree was a whole new ball game. He spent the first hour of tree hunting explaining why they couldn't have an eight foot tall Christmas tree.

"It won't fit in the house!"

"We could squish," Rory suggested.

"That's not how it works. Pick a new tree!"

"But we like this one," Lorelai whined.

"Ya, we even named him!"

"Too bad," Luke shook his head. "Pick a new tree."

"Scrooge!" Lorelai cried.

"Grinch!" Rory added.

"Move it!" Luke pointed towards the normal sized trees, pushing them forward.

Once they got past the eight foot tall trees, he spent the rest of the trip trying to limit the number of trees they brought home.

"Why do you need more than one tree?" He demanded when Rory appeared dragging the fourth tree they had collected.

"So they don't get lonely," Lorelai explained, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Okay, but that's not even a good tree," he tried. "It's pathetic!"

"What are you talking about?" Rory demanded, looking at the straggly tree with pride. "This tree has character!"

"It's a fighter," Lorelai agreed.

"It's the Charlie Brown tree," Luke deadpanned. "Half of it's branches have fallen off."

"Exactly," Rory agreed. "If we don't buy it, who will? Nobody else will understand this tree, it will just get passed over again and again, and then Christmas will be over, and it will die without ever knowing what it's like to be a Christmas tree."

Luke just stared at her, not even knowing what to say to that argument. He looked to Lorelai, hoping for some support, but she was nodding along with her daughter- not that he was surprised.

"Fine," he finally sighed. "But that's it!"

"But-" Lorelai started but he held up his hand.

"Four trees, that's it! I'm putting my foot down."

Twenty minutes later, he loaded six trees into the back of his truck with the help of one of the men who worked at the nursery, then herded the girls into it before they could run off again.

"I love our trees!" Rory beamed as they drove home.

"Me too!" Lorelai beamed.

"What are you going to do with six Christmas trees?" Luke grumbled.

"Decorate them, what else would we do?"

"Where are you even going to put them?" He demanded. "Your house isn't that big."

"Two in the living room, one in our bedroom," Lorelai explained. "One in the kitchen-"

"You can't put a tree in the kitchen!"

"Why not?"

"It's unsanitary! It'll get in the food!"

"What food?" Lorelai asked, looking at him like he was crazy.

"Right," he sighed. "Carry on."

"Where was I? One in the kitchen..."

"One in my room," Rory jumped in.

"And one for the diner."

"No!" Luke exclaimed. "You are not putting a tree in the diner."

"Not the diner, the apartment."

"You're not putting a tree in the apartment."

"Why not!?" Lorelai demanded. "It could do with some decoration."

"You're not putting a tree in my apartment," Luke held his ground.

"Fine," Lorelai huffed. "We'll put another one in our bedroom."

"Fantastic," he grumbled.

Jess was waiting for them when they got back to the house, ready to help Luke unload.

"I thought you were kidding," he told Rory when he saw the back of the truck.

"Why would I kid about that?" She asked. "Now hurry up, I want to start decorating!"

"Six?" Jess frowned at Luke.

"You try saying no to the both of them! They can't be reasoned with!"

"Amateur," Jess sniffed.

"Just shut up and help me," Luke snapped.

Once all the trees were inside, Luke retreated to the diner, leaving Jess to help decorate.

"Come help me!" Rory yelled at him as she stood on a chair underneath a ceiling fan.

"What are you doing?" He demanded.

"Putting up the mistletoe. Hand me the tape."

"What?" Jess stared at her.

"Mistletoe goes on the ceiling fan, so it's like a sport," she explained. "It's tradition."

"Of course it is," he passed her the tape. "What other traditions am I in store for this year?"

"Well, we hang our stockings on the banister, because the second year we lived here we accidentally set them on fire," she explained. "And on Christmas morning we put red and green M&Ms in our cereal. And we bake cookies."

" _You_ bake?" Jess frowned.

"Well, we put on Christmas music and pretend to bake, but we _do_ make our own frosting!"

"Aah," Jess nodded. "That, I'm willing to believe."

"Then on Christmas Eve we put the cookies out for the reindeer, and gum for Santa."

"You do know that Santa isn't real, right?"

"Bite your tongue!" Rory smacked him. "He's real as long as you believe he is."

Jess just stared at her like she had three heads, waiting for her to give.

"Are you guys having a staring contest?" Lorelai asked, coming up the stairs with a box of decorations. "Because I think, for it to be official, you have to be sitting down."

"Jess said Santa isn't real," Rory explained, still not breaking eye contact.

Lorelai gasped and hit him.

"Blasphemy!"

"There are no sane people left in this town," Jess sighed in defeat.

"Thank you," Lorelai beamed. "Now help me string these lights up in the windows."

"I'm going to go get started on the trees downstairs," Rory announced.

When Luke returned that night, the house was completely decorated, A Charlie Brown Christmas was playing on repeat on the TV and Rory and Lorelai were running around with antlers on their heads and tinsel around their necks.

"Thank God!" Jess cried when he saw him. "Someone sane!"

"Geez!" Luke stared around the house in disbelief. "What the hell happened in here?"

"We decorated!" Lorelai beamed, bouncing into the kitchen. "Did you bring food? We're starving!"

"Burgers and onion rings," he held up a bag.

"Rory! Food!" Lorelai called.

"Coming!"

"Why is there tape on your face?" Luke asked when she walked in.

"I ran out of places to put it so I could tape up decorations," she pulled the piece from her chin and stuck it in the garbage.

"You're both aware that this is insanity, right?" Luke asked, motioning to the tree in the kitchen and the decorations that seemed to cover every surface.

"It's festive," Lorelai corrected.

"It's tradition!" Rory added.

"Speaking of tradition," Lorelai turned to her daughter. "Weston's tomorrow?"

"Of course!"

"Why Weston's?" Jess asked.

"Candy Cane Coffee," Rory purred. "The most wonderful of all Christmas things!"

"Amen to that!" Lorelai agreed, her mouth full of food.

"That sounds disgusting," Jess cringed.

"That's because you're uncultured swine," Lorelai shot back. "To those of us who understand the finer things in life, Candy Cane Coffee is like fine wine."

"Please," Luke sniffed. "If anything it's closer to cocaine, I've actually seen you try to snort the stuff."

"That was a bad day," Lorelai glared. "I'd just been to my parent's Christmas party."

"Did we even get invited to that this year?" Rory asked, looking up from her food.

"No," Lorelai shook her head. "Why, did you want to go?"

"No!" Rory shook her head furiously. "I will miss the apple tarts though."

"Oh, yeah!" Lorelai sighed nostalgically.

"I'll make you Santa burgers," Luke offered before they could get too upset.

"Really!?" Both women turned to him excitedly.

"Really," he nodded. "It can be your reward for not putting a Christmas tree in the diner."

"Sweet!" Rory beamed.

"You're very easy to please," Jess observed.

"It's Christmas," she replied happily.

Rory and Lorelai were sitting on the porch later that night, drinking hot chocolate and watching the snow that had started to fall, while Luke and Jess figured out how to get all the lights on the Christmas trees to turn on without blowing a fuse.

"So, things seem okay with you and Luke," Rory observed.

"I don't know," Lorelai shrugged. "I mean, we kind of talked about it, but we didn't really resolve anything. He wants contact with her- which I completely understand, and I told him that- but he doesn't want _me_ to meet her yet. And, I mean, I understand that too, he wants to get to know her himself, but it feels like he's just keeping a wall between our relationship and this new part of his life."  
"I'm sure he's just trying to adjust," Rory tried to comfort her. "Once he's gotten to know her he'll want you to be apart of their relationship too."

"I just don't want him to pull away," Lorelai sighed. "I mean, we've been through so much, and everything was finally working out. I knew that the wedding was too easy."

"Mom," Rory chastised her softly. "The wedding planning was easy because you and Luke are perfect for each other. This is just an adjustment, it's not going to change anything."

"Really?" Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "I think this is a pretty big change."

"You know what I mean," Rory frowned. "Once you've both adjusted, this will just be another part of your relationship. It's not going to change how perfect you are together."

"I hope you're right," Lorelai sighed.

They sat quietly again, Rory resting her head on her mother's shoulder, letting the snow calm them until Luke came out.

"I think we've got it," he announced.

"Yay!" The girls jumped up, their previously serious demeanour replaced with excitement.

Lorelai ran to find her camera while Rory turned off all the lights in the house.

"If you turn all the lights off you're going to trip on one of these cords," Luke warned her.

"Not once the tree is lit up," she smiled. "Besides, this is the only way to get the full effect."

"Okay!" Lorelai rejoined them in the living room, camera ready. "Hit the lights!"

Jess nodded and turned on the power cord they had connected all the strings to.

"Wow!" Lorelai sighed. "We did good this year."

"Merry Christmas, Mom." Rory smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Babe!" She wrapped her arm around her daughter, pulling her close. After a minute, Luke joined them, putting an arm around Lorelai and pulling both girls to his side.

For a second, Lorelai could pretend that they really were one happy family and that she and Luke weren't struggling to keep it all together. This was what she had always wanted, for herself _and_ for Rory- to be able to stand in front of the Christmas tree and not have to feel inadequate, to not have to think about whether Rory really was happy, or if they would have been better off if Lorelai had just married Christopher. This was the moment that she had waited Rory's whole life for, so she closed her eyes and forgot about all the other things going on in her life and focused on the feeling of having her daughter on one side and the love of her life on the other, while they basked in the lights of their Christmas tree.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Before they knew it, Christmas was over and January had snuck up on them, bringing with it Rory's return to Yale.

"I'll see you guys in a couple weeks," Rory promised the boys as she left.

"Don't leave us!" Matt pleaded, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms around her waist. "The place will fall into chaos again without you here!"

"You'll be fine," Rory patted his head . "You lasted two years without me."

"But we didn't know what we were missing," Chris pointed out. "Now, we have seen the light."

"I'm happy to hear it," Rory laughed. "But I still have to go."

"Fine. We'll see you soon!"

Jess had offered to come help Rory move, but she had insisted she would be fine.

"You'll come see me next weekend, and then we'll go to the Winter Carnival," she told him.

"I'm not going to that stupid thing again," Jess shook his head. "I'd rather stick my head in an oven."

"Don't be dramatic," Rory scolded. "You have to come!"

"Not a chance. Drive safe!"

"Jess!"

"I thought you had to get going?" He pushed her towards the car.

"Fine!" She huffed. "But I _will_ change your mind."

"Sure you will."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll see you next weekend," he promised.

"And we'll talk all the time?"

"All the time," he agreed. "I'm just a phone call away."

"Okay," she sighed and hugged him. "I haven't even left yet and I know this long distance thing is going to suck."

"I know," he held her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "But it's only for a couple months, and then you'll be back for spring break, and after that it's summer."

"I guess," she sighed, then looked at her watch. "Okay, I really do have to go now."

"I'll see you next weekend."

He kissed her again, pulling her as close as he could, trying to memorize every inch of her before she left.

"I love you," she told him when they finally broke apart.

"I love you, too. Call me when you get there."

She nodded and got in the car, trying not to let him see how emotional she was. She knew she was being ridiculous, she would see him in just over a week, but that didn't stop her from letting a few tears slip down her cheek as she drove away.

It seemed so much harder to leave him than it had been to leave when she was living at home. Now that they had had those months of domestic bliss, it almost killed her to go back to college life- even though she knew that she would be happy once she was there. She just had to focus on that, instead of how much she was going to miss Jess.

The drive to New Haven was boring without someone to talk to, and she couldn't seem to focus on any radio station or CD for longer than a few minutes. When she finally pulled up to her new apartment, she let out a sigh of relief and called Paris to tell her that she was downstairs, then started unloading her bags. She couldn't help but notice the two guys standing in the vestibule watching her, but tried to ignore them.

"Hey," Paris emerged from the building a few minutes later. "How are you."

"Hey, Paris!" Rory smiled. "I missed you."

"Me too," her friend responded, with far less enthusiasm. "Come on, I'll give you the tour."

As Rory lugged her bags up the stairs, Paris pointed out each apartment and gave a description of it's tenants until they got to their apartment. She then proceeded to explain how to unlock the doors while Rory bit back the urge to roll her eyes. The process seemed more than a little overzealous, but after living with Paris for three years she had learned not to pick a fight about little things like locks- there were so many bigger battles to fight when Paris was involved. Once they were inside, she continued to describe the safety measures that they had taken since moving in.

"This neighbourhood is only as scary as you make it," she promised Rory. "The guys downstairs may look deadly, but they don't bother you if you don't bother them. When you have guests over, just tell them they're a Doo-wop group."

"Right," Rory nodded, then jumped when she heard a loud bang. "Oh my God! Were those gunshots?"

"No, that was just a car backfiring," Paris assured her. "The real gunfire actually sounds fake. You'll pick it up eventually, they call it Ghetto Ear."

"Something to look forward to," she frowned.

Paris carried on explaining the intricacies of the apartment until Doyle threw a door open and tackled her.

"What the hell is going on?!" Rory demanded as they wrestled on the ground for a few seconds before declaring a rematch.

"When we moved in here, we thought it would be good to take some self defence classes," Paris explained as she and Doyle started pulling on padding.

"Krav Maga," Doyle expanded. "The official self defence technique of the Israeli army. It's not about being the strongest, or fighting in a ring. It's about coming home alive, no matter what."

"Plus it's a rush," Paris added.

Without further notice, they started wailing on each other, leaving Rory to watch in mild alarm. When she was finally able to pull her eyes away from the terrifying scene in front of her, she kicked her bags into the room she had been assigned and headed back downstairs to get the rest of her stuff.

Four loads later, Doyle and Paris had finally finished beating each other up, and Rory settled on her freshly made bed to call Jess.

"Hey," he picked up on the first ring. "I was wondering where you were."

"Hey, sorry. I decided to get all my stuff inside first."

"So how is it?"

"Well, it's pretty sketchy," she admitted. "I think someone got shot down the street earlier, and there's these two guys that hang out in front of the building that may or may not kill me and stuff my body in the trunk of a car, but other than that it's okay, I guess."

"Can't be worse than the place I lived in in New York after I left Star's Hollow," Jess assured her. "There were eight of us sleeping on mattresses on the floor in an apartment with one room and one bathroom."

"I at least have a bed frame," Rory assured him. "Other than that, our situations sound remarkably similar. But I'm sure it will just take some getting used to."

"That's the spirit," Jess agreed.

"You'll never guess what happened when I got here, though."

"Paris had a dead body sitting on the couch?"

"No," Rory laughed. "Her boyfriend, Doyle, jumped out from behind a door and attacked her."

"What?!" Jess demanded.

"They then proceeded to put on padding and start wailing on each other, because they decided to take a self defence class, and the class they took was for Krav Maga."

"Isn't that what the Israeli army teaches?" Jess asked.

"Yes, yes it is," Rory sighed. "So Paris has officially reached a new level of crazy. On the bright side, if anyone breaks in, I'm golden."

"Awesome," Jess huffed.

"I gotta go, there's someone on my other line. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Okay," Jess agreed.

"Love you."

"You too."

She hung up and switched to the other line.

"Hello?"

"So, how's Paris?" Lorelai asked.

"Just as crazy as usual," Rory assured her. "How are you?"

"Oh, just peachy."

"You don't sound peachy," Rory frowned. "What's wrong?"

"April is over at Luke's," she admitted. "But I can't go, because he doesn't want me to meet her, and I'm trying to give him his space and respect his wishes."

"That's very mature of you," Rory encouraged. "Have you guys actually talked about this yet?"

"No, but we will."

"When Hilary's president?" Rory asked. "Come on, Mom. Just bite the bullet and get it over with. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Seriously?" Lorelai challenged.

"Okay, but what are the chances of it going _that_ bad? If you talk, everything will be out in the open and you'll both know how you feel about everything and there won't be any awkward space anymore."

"You make it sound so easy," Lorelai sighed.

"It's only as hard as you're making it," Rory shrugged.

"When did you become smarter than me?" Lorelai demanded.

"It's this whole college thing," Rory chuckled. "Being within a certain number of miles of the campus increases your IQ exponentially."

"Makes sense," Lorelai agreed. "Okay, well, I'll let you get settled. I just wanted to make sure you got there safe."

"Safe and sound," Rory assured her. "If slightly depressed."

"You and the hoodlum will see each other soon," Lorelai assured her. "Don't be too sad."

"I'm not, I just got used to having him around."

"I hear that," Lorelai admitted. "Alright, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye, Mom." She went to hang up, but stopped and put the phone back to her ear. "Use your words!"

She heard a disapproving 'Hmph' on the other line before the call was cut off, at least Lorelai had heard her, though.

Rory was up and out of the apartment early the next morning, ready to get started on her class begging. She had most of the ones she wanted, but she needed to add a couple more if she was going to graduate on time. She had just finished pitching herself to her last professor and was headed to the coffee cart before her first class when she saw him.

"I knew you'd have to hit the coffee cart eventually," Logan smirked at her.

Without a word, she turned and headed in the opposite direction, praying he wouldn't follow.

She was able to avoid him for the rest of the day, until she stopped at the paper to get her assignment. Paris was being her usual self, scaring the new members of the paper and laying down the law. Despite Rory's attempts to get her to cool down, she didn't show any signs of easing up.

"Damn," Paris frowned when he walked in. "I was told your boyfriend was coming back."

"Paris, you know I'm with Jess," Rory frowned. "Logan and I broke up."

"Hey, keep the personal stuff at home," Paris chastised her. "I can't be seen caring about you here. My door is not open!" She announced loudly, then turned to Logan.

"Huntzberger! My office!" She ordered.

Logan tried to touch Rory's arm as he walked past, but she pulled away and grabbed her coat before Paris could finish with him, heading back to the apartment.

When she talked to Jess about his reappearance that night, he didn't seem too concerned.

"He'll get the message eventually," he assured her. "And if he doesn't, I'll come and pass it on to him personally."

"I guess," she sighed. "I just really don't want to deal with him. Things with Logan ended so terribly, I don't need that coming back to bite me."

"Do you want me to come down and tell him to back off?" Jess asked, his tone completely serious. "I'll bring Chris and Cynthia, make sure he gets the message."

"That's sweet, but no. I'll just ignore him until he goes away."

"Alright, just know the offer stands. So, how did your first day of classes go?"

Lorelai came to visit on Saturday, and immediately shared her disapproval of her daughter's living situation.

"I have an idea," she said once they were seated at a nearby pub. "Let's call Daddy and make him pay for an apartment with one lock!"

"No," Rory shook her head. "This is what college is supposed to be- crappy apartments and ramen noodles. It's a safe neighbourhood, and there's even a safety van that goes to and from campus so we don't have to walk home at night. Besides, my roommates are learning how to kill people, so I'm totally safe!"

Her mother didn't seem to be buying it, but she dropped the subject and moved on.

"So what do you have on the go this week?"

"I have a couple more classes to picket for, and then I have my meeting with the school psychiatrist-"

"I'm sorry, what?" Lorelai demanded.

"I told you about this."

"No, you definitely didn't!" Lorelai shook her head. "I would have remembered if you'd told me you needed to have your head shrunk!"

"It's mandatory," Rory shrugged. "Any student who unexpectedly takes time off has to meet with a counsellor to come back."

"Just make sure to blame everything on Grandma."

"That was the plan."

"You are so my daughter," Lorelai smiled. "How's Jess?"

"Good. He's coming to see the apartment next weekend, and then we're coming down for the carnival."

" _Jess_ is coming to the carnival?" Lorelai looked surprised.

"Yes he is."

"Does _he_ know he's coming to the carnival?"

"No he does not."

"Ah, that makes much more sense," Lorelai nodded.

"It's for his own good," she shrugged. "Once he's there, he'll remember how much fun it is."

"Didn't he almost get into a fist fight with Dean at his last carnival?"

"Yes, but I don't see any need to remind him of that."

"Got it," Lorelai nodded, then checked her watch. "Crap! I have to go! But I'll see you next weekend?"

"We'll be there," Rory confirmed.

"Alright, bye Sweets!" They exchanged a quick hug, then Lorelai made a run for her car.

Rory lingered over her lunch a little longer, pulling out a notepad and working on a list of article ideas she was sifting through for the Daily News, then headed back to the apartment to do some studying. Unfortunately, her plans were derailed when she got to the top of the stairs and found Logan hovering outside her door.

"I brought coffee, but it's cold."

She ignored him and dropped her stuff on the floor so she could unlock the door.

"It's a nice place you've got here," he continued. "I've been discussing the actual baking soda to crack ratio you can get away with with your neighbours downstairs."

She continued to ignore him, internally cursing Paris for her stupid affinity for safety.

"This place is a dump, Rory. You can't live here."

"You don't get to care about where I live anymore," she finally acknowledged him. "We broke up, Logan. My living situation isn't your problem anymore."

"We had a fight," he argued.

"We had a screaming match in a restaurant, which you left me in, and then we broke up," Rory clarified. "I know, for a fact, that I told you I was breaking up with you multiple times before I changed my number."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Logan frowned. "I was worried sick about you."

"That's not my problem," she shrugged. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

She turned her attention back to the door, trying to remember which key she needed.

"Want some help?" Logan offered.

"Nope."

"I bet one of those guys downstairs could help you get into a locked apartment."

"Go be you somewhere else, Logan." She finally got the door open and started to gather her things as quickly as possible.

"Rory," his voice took on a tone that almost sounded pleading. "I love you."

"But I don't love you." she slammed the door in his face and quickly locked it again, hoping he would get the message loud and clear.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

Jess's visit couldn't come quick enough. Since her initial encounter with Logan, he had been relentless in trying to win back her affections, sending her everything from flowers to food to a coffee cart- which ended up coming in handy, but that wasn't the point.

Paris was having a fit, convinced that all the unwanted gifts would get them robbed or murdered, and Rory was ready to invite Logan to the roof of the apartment just so she could push him off.

She hadn't told Jess about the gifts, not wanting him to get upset or insist on coming and talking to Logan himself, but she knew it would come up when he saw all the flowers and crap that was building up in the apartment.

He surprised her Friday afternoon by picking her up outside her English Lit class.

"Jess!" She cried, running and jumping into his arms. "What are you doing here?!"

"I couldn't wait till you got back to your apartment," he shrugged. "I didn't want you to get distracted between here and there."

"Aw, you missed me!"

"That too," he shrugged.

She beamed, then reached up and kissed him.

"I missed you, too."

"Happy to hear it. So, you gonna show me where you live?"

"I just have to stop at the paper and drop off my article. Come on." She grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of the building.

"So I'm going to get to see Rory Gilmore- Reporter Extraordinaire at work?" Jess smirked.

"If you're lucky," she grinned.

"I have a pretty good track record of getting lucky," he quipped.

"Don't be gross!"

She led him into the newsroom and stopped short when she saw what seemed to be the latest trend.

"What's with the hats?" Jess asked.

"I have no idea," she sighed and approached one of the desks. "What's with the hats, she asks, knowing it's probably not good?"

"It's Paris," Joni explained. "She's having trouble remembering everyone's names. Or as she puts it, she has better things to do."

"Oh, God!" Rory groaned, then elbowed Jess, who was snickering behind her.

"Plus, some of us have confused the issue by having the same names, so she's issued everyone numbers."

"Oh, Geez!"

"Martinet at 3 o' clock," Bill warned, signalling that Paris had left her office to join the rest of them.

"Wait here," Rory told Jess, then went to confront her totalitarian friend.

"Rory!" Paris looked over and noticed her. "New system, here's your number."

"Paris, you know me." Rory pointed out. "Plus, I'm the only Rory."

"But I can't play favourites," Paris explained. "Remember, we talked about this. We all have numbers, even me, I'm number one. I don't need a cap for that, if they can't remember the number one they shouldn't be here."

"Can we talk in private?" Rory sighed.

"Sure," Paris nodded and led her away, shouting: "If you're looking for one and two, we're in the hallway!"

From the corner of her eye, Rory saw Jess laughing again and shot him the stink eye before joining Paris outside.

"Did I see Jess in there?" Paris asked once they were outside. "What's he doing here?"

"Paris, I told you we were back together. He's here to see me."

"Could you get the Kerouac wannabe to get rid of Huntzberger, then? If we get one more fancy fruit delivery, the guys in the vestibule are gonna stuff us in their trunk for ransom!"

"Paris, we're not here to talk about Logan," Rory cut her off. "We need to talk about the paper. The atmosphere around here is getting very toxic. Everyone is feeling incredibly stressed, between the grease board and the hats."

"I haven't heard any complaints," Paris crossed her arms.

"That's because people are afraid to approach you. You rewrite everything they do, you don't delegate-"

"That's not true," Paris argued.

"Look," Rory sighed. "The staff and I had a little talk yesterday, it was very impromptu, but the gist of it was that it would really help if you could release some of the pressure here."

"They think it's that bad?" Paris asked, seemingly surprised.

"You took away the magnets that indicate people are in the bathroom so they're afraid to go!"

"Well, they were using them too much," Paris shrugged.

"People are getting very nervous here," Rory tried to explain. "I think you just need to ease up a bit."

"Okay, I'll go talk to them. Thanks for bringing this to my attention."

"You're welcome," Rory smiled and followed her friend back inside, naively thinking she had gotten through to her. She was immediately put back in her place when Paris called everyone to attention and gave a rousing speech about how she wasn't going to be changing anything, and didn't appreciate their attempt to Howell Raines her.

"Oh, Paris," Rory sighed.

Once Paris had stomped back to her office, Jess approached her.

"So I see nothing in the Geller Camp has changed," he smirked.

"Let's go," Rory sighed in defeat. "I have a headache."

"Wow, it's just as bad as you described," Jess observed when they pulled up in front of her apartment.

"You thought I was exaggerating?" Rory challenged.

"You _are_ a writer."

"A newspaper writer. We always tell the truth. You're the one that over exaggerates things."

"Right, I forgot. So, you gonna take me upstairs?"

"I have to tell you something first," she said, deciding it would be best to tell him about the Logan predicament before he saw it.

"What, you don't have your other boyfriend stashed up there, do you?"

"Not exactly."

He turned the car off and moved to face her, judging by her tone that this was going to be a serious conversation.

"You know how I told you Logan has been bothering me?"

"Yes."

"Well, I may not have fully described the situation..."

"Rory," he frowned. "What's going on?"

"I'm not talking to him or anything, but he keeps sending me all these stupid gifts to try and win me back, so the apartment is covered in flowers and crap."

"Have you told him we're together?" Jess asked. "Maybe if he knew you were off the market he would back off."

"If I were speaking to him I would do that," Rory assured him. "But my current strategy is ignoring him until he gets the point."

"Alright," Jess shrugged. "You deal with it how you want, just know I'm more than happy to kick his ass. Can we go up now?"

"Sure," Rory nodded, a little confused about how calm Jess was being about the whole situation. "You're really okay with this?"

"Rory, I trust you," he assured her. "If you say you're handling it, then you're handling it."

"Okay," she laughed a little from relief.

"You could always sic Paris on him," Jess suggested as they walked up the stairs.

"I've thought about it, but his family would probably sue me for damages."

Jess started to laugh, but was cut short when they got to the landing and found Logan waiting in front of her door again.

"On the other hand," he murmured, then put a protective arm around her shoulders and led her down the hall.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Logan demanded as they approached.

" _He_ was invited," Jess responded. "I don't think the same can be said of you."

Rory slipped between them and started to unlock the door, hoping they wouldn't start throwing punches before she could get inside.

"Rory, what's going on?" Logan demanded.

"She's not talking to you," Jess informed him. "I mean, you'd think you would have figured that out after two weeks of trying, but I guess you didn't exactly get accepted to Yale for your brains."

"You know what, man?" Logan fumed. "I don't recall talking to you. I was talking to Rory."

"How's that been working out for you?" Jess crossed his arms.

"I don't think that's any of your business."

"I don't know, I would say that dating her makes it my business. Wouldn't you?" He turned to Rory, who glared at him over her shoulder. "Really, the fact that I'm here and she's told you to get lost more than once would make it my business."

"You're dating _him_?" Logan demanded, turning back to Rory. "So what, you ditch me in the middle of a restaurant just to jump into bed with this loser, that's real nice Rory, really."

"You left me," Rory snapped. "And I didn't jump into bed with him. God, Logan! How little do you think of me?"

"Oh come on, just admit it!" Logan snapped. "We had a fight, you got upset, so you ran off and jumped into bed with Hemingway here like the slut you are!"

"Hey!" Jess grabbed him by the front of his coat and pushed him away from Rory. "Don't you _dare_ talk to her like that!"

"Get off me!" Logan snapped, shoving Jess back.

"Rory, go inside," Jess growled, not breaking eye contact with Logan.

"Jess," she whispered.

"Rory, go."

She could tell by his tone that she wasn't going to get through to him, so she opened the door and stepped inside, praying that he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"I want you to listen _very closely_ ," he snarled once she closed the door. "You're going to leave her alone, starting _right_ now. No more stupid gifts, no more showing up unannounced in some pathetic attempt to get her back."

"You can't tell me what to do!" Logan laughed angrily.

"Watch me," Jess snapped. "You're going to leave now, and you're not going to come back. And if you _ever_ speak to her again, if you even look in her direction, I will end you."

"Is that a threat?" Logan sniffed.

"It's a promise," Jess stood his ground. "If you so much as walk down the same corridor as her, I will hear about it, and so help me God I will assemble an army of people who would be more than happy to get rid of you, because you obviously don't understand how special that girl is, and how many people want to keep her safe from scum like you."

"Whatever, man," Logan huffed. "She's not worth all this."

"Good, then leave." Jess crossed his arms and waited until Logan finally threw up his hands and made his way to the stairs, muttering under his breath. When he was sure Logan was gone, Jess opened the door to the apartment and went inside.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Rory asked nervously. "Because his parents would sue you into the next dimension."

"No, I just made it clear he wasn't welcome here anymore. I didn't lay a hand on him."

"Well, if it worked, then thank you."

"He deserved it," Jess seethed. "Nobody can talk to you like that."

"Hey," her eyes softened with concern and she took his face in her hands. "It's okay. He's an idiot, and he's gone now. I don't think he's right or anything."

"Okay," Jess nodded. "As long as you know that."

"Don't worry about me," she smiled. "I have a very healthy ego, I would never say such horrible things about myself."

"Good." Jess took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "So, you going to give me the tour?"


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Hello?!" Rory called, walking into her house a few hours later. "Mom!"

"Hi!" Lorelai ran past them, chasing Paul Anka.

"What are you doing?" Rory followed her.

"Stop him!" Lorelai cried as the dog doubled back and headed straight for Rory.

Jess was the one to lean down and grab the dog, finally getting it to hold still.

"Thanks!" Lorelai took the dog by the collar and lead him back into the living room. "Rory, help me get his vest on."

"His what?"

"His vest," she repeated.

"Okay, rewind," Rory shook her head.

"I volunteered to run a booth for the carnival, and Paul Anka is going to be the Doggy Swami!"

"Poor guy," Jess frowned down at him. "You picked the wrong owner."

"Hey!" Lorelai glared at him. "I'm a great dog owner!"

"You're making your dog tell people's fortunes in a vest and hat."

"It's not a hat it's a turban," she argued, but this did nothing to dissuade him.

"I'm going to go see Luke," Jess shook his head. "I'll meet up with you later."

"You better," Rory glared. "Or else I'll tell Kirk you want to be his best friend."

"Wow, pulling out the big guns," Lorelai nodded approvingly. "I taught you so well."

"Bye," Jess rolled his eyes at the both of them, and made a run for the door.

"So why is Paul Anka telling fortunes?" Rory asked, turning back to her mother.

"Well, the other day, Taylor called a town meeting at three in the morning, so I was awake _really_ early and the idea just came to me! Apparently I get super productive between the hours of four and seven."

"Good to know," Rory nodded. "Is the hat really necessary, though?"

"Yes! It sets the scene! Without the hat, he's just a dog in a shiny vest telling people's fortunes." She struggled with the dog for a few more seconds, attaching his leash, then took a step back and smiled proudly. "Got it! Okay, we can go!"

Rory just followed as her mother ran out the door, shaking her head at the insanity she had just walked in on.

As promised, Jess joined them a couple hours into the evening, dragging Luke with him. Luke and Lorelai quickly wandered off to talk, however, leaving Rory and Jess to man the booth.

"This is ridiculous," Jess observed, as someone was given one of many fortunes that were nothing but gibberish.

"It's fun," Rory corrected.

"It's demeaning."

"It's better than the last idea she had for a carnival booth," Rory shrugged. "A couple years ago she tried to convince Luke to help her with a dunk tank."

"In January?" Jess gaped at her. "That's insane!"

"That's Lorelai Gilmore," she shrugged. "So, you know, in comparison to _that_ level of crazy, this is totally normal."

"Your family is weird," Jess sighed.

"Your mother sells jewellery at fairs where people pretend they still live in the dark ages," Rory pointed out.

"Good point. Truce?"

"If you go find me some coffee," she agreed.

Jess nodded and headed back to the diner, passing Luke and Lorelai as he went, who seemed to be having a pretty serious conversation. Unfortunately, he couldn't get close enough to hear it. When he got back to the booth, Lorelai had returned, Luke was nowhere in sight, and Rory was pestering her mother about why she was upset.

"I'm fine, Rory!" She was insisting. "We'll talk about it later. Why don't you go walk around?"

"But-"

"Rory!" She suddenly snapped. "Drop it, go for a walk with Jess."

Rory looked slightly taken aback, but nodded and did as she was told, leaving her mother to her misery.

"What was that all about?" Jess asked once they were a couple stalls away.

"I have no idea," Rory shook her head. "She went and talked to Luke and when she came back she was like that, and she won't tell me what's wrong."

"I saw them talking when I went to get the coffee," Jess admitted. "It looked pretty serious, but I couldn't hear anything."

"Do you think they finally talked about April?" Rory mused. "I mean, I've been telling her to since before Christmas, but she just keeps edging around the subject."

"I know," Jess agreed. "I've been doing the same with Luke. They're too stubborn for their own good. Thank God we're nothing like them."

"Thank God," Rory snorted. "So, are you going to win me a teddy bear?"

"No," Jess shook his head. "But I _could_ be persuaded to buy you a corn dog."

"Okay," Rory shrugged.

"Rory!" Lane called her over to the booth she was running for her mother. From what Rory could tell, you threw a bean bag into a bucket decorated with flames, then got a pamphlet about how you were going to hell.

"This looks festive," Jess observed.

"I would think it would be right up your alley," Rory mused. "This is as Grinch as you can get."

"Will you let it go?" Jess asked, "Christmas is over."

"Christmas is never over," Rory shook her head at him. "So, how are you doing?" She turned back to Lane.

"I'm fine," she shrugged. "I mean, I'm living at home again, and my band is still broken up, but other than that everything's fine."

"How's it going being back in the Kim house?"

"It's not as bad as it was before," Lane shrugged. "I mean, it sucks, but I don't have to hide everything under the floorboards anymore."

"At least that's something," Rory tried to find a bright side.

"How are things with you?" Lane asked. "How's it feel to be back at school?"

"It's great," Rory admitted. "I didn't realize how much I missed it until I went back, although I do miss Philadelphia."

"And me," Jess piped up.

"I was actually talking about Truncheon, but sure," she nodded. "I miss you too."

"You're playing with fire, Gilmore," Jess warned.

Lane watched them with a smile on her face.

"What?" Rory asked her.

"Nothing, it's just nice to see you happy again," she observed.

"It's nice to _be_ happy again," Rory smiled softly.

As they chatted, Taylor wandered past them, his hood pulled up and sunglasses on, muttering in different accents.

"I thought he was snowed in," Rory looked at Lane.

"Apparently he's back," she shrugged.

"And he's finally lost all his marbles," Jess added.

"Either that or Luke threw another frying pan at his head," Rory mused. "We should probably go back to check on Mom."

"I'll come by in a bit and get my fortune told," Lane offered. "Once Joe comes back."

"Joe?" Jess raised an eyebrow.

"My uncle," Lane explained. "My mother somehow convinced him to come visit and help run the game."

"Alright, see you later," Rory waved and led Jess back to the booth, where Lorelai was heckling the fortune teller two booths over.

"Mom!" She scolded.

"Well, she's just as real as he is!" Lorelai cried. "And she keeps looking over and judging me with her beady eyes."

"I'm going back to the diner," Jess said.

"Alright, I'll see you when this is done." Rory reached up to kiss him, then joined her mother again. "So... are we going to talk now?"

"We're postponing the wedding," she sighed.

"What?"

"Luke thinks everything is just too much right now, with the wedding only being a few months away and him trying to get to know April, so I told him we could postpone."

"And you're okay with that?" Rory watched her mother with concern.

"If it means that Luke will be ready to get married, then yes," she sighed. "I mean, it sucks, but I guess it will be for the best."

"Okay," Rory nodded. "As long as you're okay."

"I am," Lorelai wrapped an arm around her daughter and smiled. "Or at least, I will be. I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier."

"That's okay," Rory smiled and hugged her mother back.

"So, did you guys see Taylor?"

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Rory laughed.

"I have no idea," Lorelai shrugged. "I think he's finally lost it, though."

"Definitely," Rory agreed.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Rory and Jess spent the rest of the weekend camped out in her apartment until he had to leave Monday morning.

"Can't you stay a couple more days?" Rory pleaded, holding tightly to his arm in an attempt to stop him from leaving.

"Rory, I have to go back to work- and you have to go to school."

"But I don't want you to go!" She cried.

"I know, I don't want to go either," Jess assured her. "But I have to. And to do that, I need my arm. So either pull a Boxing Helena or let go."

"I hate you," Rory frowned, but let go.

"I love you too." He leaned down and kissed her, taking her face in his hands. "I'll see you soon."

"Bye," she pouted and finally opened the apartment door to let him through. "Say hi to the guys for me."

"I will," Jess promised. "I'll call you when I get back."

"Okay." She stood in the hallway and watched him go, waiting until she heard the vestibule doors close, indicating that he had really left.

"God, you two are nauseating," Paris complained when she came back inside.

"Just because you and Doyle are old and boring doesn't mean I shouldn't have a great relationship," Rory frowned.

"I'm just saying, you could keep it in the bedroom."

"So could you," Rory argued. "I don't exactly enjoy walking in on you and Doyle's heated post work-out make-out sessions. If you don't have to hide in your bedroom, neither do I."

Paris seemed to want to keep arguing, but Rory left to get ready for class before she could form another argument.

A few days later, Rory was hunkered down in the pub around the corner splitting her attention between a couple newspaper articles and a paper for one of her classes when her mom called.

"Five minutes?" Lorelai asked, recognizing the study voice.

"Go," Rory agreed, sorting through her pile of work.

"Well, I just got a call from your grandfather to tell me that Yale returned his check."

"Huh."

"He thinks it's a clerical error," Lorelai explained.

"Hm."

"It's not a clerical error."

"Nope," Rory agreed.

"They're going to find out," Lorelai continued.

"Yep."

"Are you taking lessons on how to have a conversation in monosyllables from Jess or something?" Lorelai demanded.

"What do you want me to say?" Rory shrugged.

"Well, what do you think we should do about it?"

"Nothing."

"Rory, they're going to find out that Christopher is paying for Yale, and they're not going to like it," Lorelai explained as if her daughter didn't already know this. "It's going to go over badly. It's going to be the opening night of 'Taboo' all over again."

"They were going to find out eventually," Rory reasoned.

"Yes, but don't you think they should find out from you, not some office clerk?" Lorelai argued.

"What's the worse that could happen?" Rory sighed. "We won't be speaking anymore? Gee, that would suck."

"Wow! Ice, ice baby!" Lorelai said, a little surprised.

"I'm not trying to be cold," Rory assured her. "I just don't think I should feel guilty about letting my father pay for my college."

"No, you shouldn't," Lorelai agreed. "But my parents do have feelings. You saw how upset Mom was when the gardener butchered her box hedges."

"Fine," Rory sighed and started flipping through the paper on her table. "I'll send them an e-mail."

" _Or_ you could call them," Lorelai offered. "It would probably only take 75-80 words, less if you hang up _really_ fast."

"Oh no!" Rory stopped listening to her mother's ramblings as she turned the page and found a large blank space in the paper where there should have been a picture.

"What 'oh no'?" Lorelai demanded. "You cut off your thumb 'oh no', or you saw a rat 'oh no'?"

"Paris!" Rory cried.

"Oh no," Lorelai's tone sobered.

"I have to go." Rory sighed and started collecting her stuff, promising to call her mother back later that night, then headed straight to the paper.

When she walked in, she found Paris freaking out on A.J.

"Paris, did something happen?" She asked when she finally got her attention. "You seem upset?"

"I'm just dealing with the usual incompetence around here," Paris assured her.

"What happened here?" Rory asked, showing Paris the latest edition of the paper.

"Our pictures have sucked eggs lately, so I sent two photographer to cover the same story in the hopes of getting something usable, but they both came back with the crappiest pictures ever to be committed to film," Paris explained.

"It was supposed to be a picture of a football game," Rory pointed out.

"I know."

"Well, was there one of a guy in a helmet, holding a ball? Because that's really all you needed."

"Everyone uses a picture of a guy in a helmet holding a ball," Paris argued. "I wanted something different. Something that really said something about the game."

"Like 'we forgot to go'?" Rory demanded.

"And then, when the temperamental artistes found out I had double booked the game, they threw Naomi Campbell- level hissy fits and quit."

"So you just left it blank!?" Rory cried. "Why? To make them look bad? Because it doesn't make _them_ look bad. It makes _you_ look bad."

"It was up to the Sports editor to tell me I hadn't approved a picture," Paris reasoned.

"You needed someone to tell you you hadn't approved a picture?" Rory stared at her.

"I have a million things to do here!"

"Paris, we cannot be publishing papers with blank spots!" Rory cried. "And you can't make all the photographers quit, because there's not an endless supply of them."

"Oh please, how hard is it to look through a hole and click a button," Paris huffed. "I can do it myself. How's your story coming?"

"Fine, you'll have tomorrow."

"Finally!" Paris cried. " _One_ person I can count on."

She turned around and dropped a pile of files on Bill's desk, demanding that he call everyone in to rewrite them, despite the fact that they were locked, then disappeared into her bunker.

"She's out of control!" Bill cried once she was gone. "She's a mad dictator! She's the kind of dictator they don't just like to kill, she's the kind they drag through the streets first."

"Let's just get this paper out," Rory sighed. "Where's Sheila?"

"Sick."

"What about Joni?"

"Sick."

"There's an awful lot of sickness going around," Rory frowned.

"And I'm sure there's about to be a lot more," Bill picked up the phone and started dialling.

Rory fled the building before Paris could start attacking _her,_ making a mental note to try and talk to her after the current issue had been finished.

"You will never guess what is happening here," she told her mother after calling her back. "Paris has _completely_ lost her mind! She left a giant hole in the paper because all the photographers are quitting."

"Well, did you expect any less?" Lorelai reasoned. "Paris doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to getting large amounts of power."

"I know, but this is the worst I've ever seen her. The other writers want to oust her."

"Wow, that really is bad," Lorelai cringed. "Do you think they'll actually do it?"

"I don't know. I'm going to try to talk to Paris after this issue is finished, maybe try to talk her down before she does irreparable damage."

"Good luck," Lorelai sighed. "I wouldn't want to jump in front of that bull."

"Well, luckily we have padding scattered throughout the apartment," Rory reasoned. "So, I was going to see if you wanted to come have lunch with me tomorrow?" She changed the subject.

"I'd love to!" Lorelai beamed. "Hey, let's dress crazy!"

"Noon?" Rory ignored the suggestion. "In front of the really good coffee cart?"

"Sounds like a plan," Lorelai agreed. "See you tomorrow, Sweets!"

Once they had hung up, Rory went back to finishing her article, not wanting to bring the wrath of Paris down on herself before she absolutely had to.

When she met her mother the next day, it was very apparent that she had been serious about her wardrobe suggestion.

"I can't believe you didn't dress crazy like we planned!" Lorelai complained as they finished their lunch and walked out of the dining hall.

"We didn't plan to dress crazy," Rory argued.

"Last night, on the phone!"

"You saying, 'Hey! Let's dress crazy!' does not equate to us planning to dress crazy," Rory scoffed.

"For years it did," her mother sighed, wistfully.

"Well for years you bought my clothes, so I had very little choice in the matter."

"Huh!" Lorelai gasped. "This is so typical! Kid grows up, goes to a fancy school and is suddenly ashamed of her mother. You totally Mildred Pierced me!"

"I did not Mildred Pierce you," Rory argued.

"You'll miss me when I'm gone!" Lorelai sighed dramatically.

"Oh my God!" Rory rolled her eyes.

"Can I just say, I think the food here has gotten worse," Lorelai changed the subject. "Ooh! Coffee!"

"You have coffee in your hand," Rory pointed out.

"But by the time she makes a new one, this one will be empty," Lorelai reasoned, making a B-line for the cart.

"Okay," Rory shrugged.

"Two double cappuccinos," Lorelai ordered, then turned back to her daughter. "So I talked to your grandparents last night."

"So now they're _my_ grandparents?" Rory asked, taking the coffee the barista handed her.

"I told them about Yale," Lorelai ignored the observation.

"I'm glad."

"You're glad I told them, or you're glad they know?" She asked.

"Both," Rory shrugged.

"So you want to know how they took it?"

"Nope," Rory shook her head, but her mother told her anyways.

"They took it great! Mom practically broke the phone, she hung up so hard, and Dad, well, he was quiet, brooding. It was a _huge_ success!"

Rory just nodded, hoping the conversation would end soon.

"Here's how I see it," Lorelai continued. "You and your grandparents are at a crossroads, a precipice, if you will. They are the Bridges of Madison County, and you are Meryl Streep."

"As the paper pages go flying off the calender," Rory joked.

"Hey, I'm being serious here," Lorelai stopped walking and turned to face her. "I know you guys are playing 'Who Can Freeze Out Who The Longest', which I'm well aware can be fun, but if you ever want to have a relationship with them again, someone has to take the first step. The first Christmas after we left Hartford, when we were living at the Independence Inn, I got an invitation to their annual Christmas party, and I didn't go and that moment has defined our entire future relationship. I mean, if we had gone, it would have been awful, but maybe it would have broken the ice and I might not have had such a terrible relationship with them."

"Maybe, maybe not," Rory shrugged.

"I just know how much you love your grandparents," Lorelai pleaded with her. "And I know how important it's been to you to have a relationship with them, and I don't want you to ruin that just because you inherited the Gilmore stubbornness."

"Okay, I hear you," Rory finally gave in.

"Really?" Lorelai asked. "Because my scarf is screaming as loud as it can."

"I'll think about it."

"Good," Lorelai beamed. "You have until 6:45 Friday night, then we're having dinner with them."

"What!?"

"I made the plans last night," she smirked.

"But-" Rory started to argue, but her Mom cut her off.

"Come on, Rory! Cocktails, Mozart, mind games? Good times!"

"I just don't think it's such a good idea!"

"Rory, come on, Grandma already said she was really into it."

"She said she was into it?" Rory frowned.

"Well, she didn't say it like that," Lorelai admitted. "She said 'Oh! Dinner with Rory! How delightful! Alert the corgis, spit spot!"

Rory cringed at the terrible British accent her mother was attempting, then sighed in defeat.

"Fine. But the minute things get ugly, I'm out of there."

"Do you want to wear my scarf to dinner?" Lorelai beamed. "I know you do!"

After lunch with her mother, Rory had back to back classes, and then planned on going to the paper to finish up her article. When she got there, hoping to do the final edit on her article and then get home to study, it was a complete wasteland. Half the desks were empty, and the remaining people were either sleeping or playing games on their computers.

"What's going on?" She asked, approaching Bill's desk. "No one called me in for the final edit on my article."

"That would be because the Sports department, Entertainment department, City department and Features department- other than you- have all quit, along with all the editors. Even the little guy who brought around sandwiches quit. It was quit an exodus. Very Biblical," he observed.

"Whatever," Rory frowned. "We can figure that out later. For now, I just want to finish my article, so I guess you and I can do it."

"We could," Bill agreed. "But I quit too."

"What are you doing here, then?" Rory demanded.

"Are you kidding? I'm going to have a ringside seat for the event of the century. This will be the first time _ever_ that the paper doesn't come out."

"Very nice," Rory deadpanned.

"D-day, paper comes out," Bill expanded. "Kennedy gets shot, paper comes out. Three months under the Geller reign of terror and the whole institution comes crumbling down."

"You suck, Bill!" Rory spat, then stomped over to Paris's bunker to try and talk to her.

"Holy crap!" She cried, entering the dark space. The walls were completely covered in articles, half of them unfinished, Paris was spinning in circles like a mad woman trying to finish everything, and the entire place felt like a hot box.

"I can't talk right now," Paris tried to dismiss her, but Rory sat down anyways.

"Paris, do you have any idea what's going on out there?" She demanded. "More than half the staff has quit, and there's no one out there working."

"There's no one out there working when there's people out there working," Paris said, a crazed look in her eyes.

"Paris, the paper's not gonna come out."

"Of course it is."

"How?" Rory demanded. "Nothing's done!"

"I'm getting it done," Paris assured her. "I made a schedule. As long as I stick to the schedule and don't get distracted, everything will be fine."

Rory snatched said schedule off the desk and skimmed through it.

"Paris, there's like a hundred hours of work here!" She cried. "And there's only five hours until the paper comes out."

"I'll get it done."

"Well you better get bitten by that radioactive spider pretty damn fast," Rory slammed the schedule back down.

"I'll get it done!" Paris cried. "I just have to stop myself from being distracted."

"Paris!"

"DON'T DISTRACT ME!" She screamed, completely frantic.

Rory watched in terror as she fumbled in a drawer and pulled out a set of ear muffs, putting them on and going back to her furious scribbling, still convinced that she could get everything done. Knowing that there was no way she was going to get through to Paris at this point, Rory decided that it was time to take matters into her own hands. Without another word, she exited the bunker and got the attention of everyone left in the newsroom, giving orders and calling everyone in.

Within the hour she had assembled the entire staff and had them working furiously.

"Bill!" She snapped, seeing he was still sitting in his chair playing with a yo-yo. She grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped the string.

"Get your ass out of that chair and work, or get your ass out of that chair and leave!" She snapped. "Either way, get your ass out of that chair!"

"I refuse to help that woman," he pointed to the bunker.

"You're not helping her, you're helping me." Rory argued.

He took a moment to think, then nodded.

"Fine, but it Punksatawney Phil sticks her head out of her hole, I'm gone."

"How about some desking?" Rory offered.

"I'm on it," he agreed.

She threw Sheila on with him, hoping it would make him work faster.

"How are we doing?" She asked, swooping over to Joni's desk.

"I have a very strong opinion that I have no opinion on the opinion piece!" Joni panicked.

"And the subject is?"

"Hand-blowers in the bathroom."

"And the Pulitzer prize goes to?" Rory said sarcastically, then noticed her ringing cellphone. "Just make sure it's done in twenty minutes... Hello?"

"Hey, it's me!" Jess said.

The photo editor passed Rory holding up two pictures.

"Yes," she pointed to the first one. "And use them both if we need to fill space... Sorry, hi." She turned back to the phone.

"Hey, what's going on? Where are you?"

"I'm at the paper. Paris had a colossal meltdown and everyone quit and the paper wasn't going to come out, so I'm running the chaos."

"I bet you look good doing it," Jess offered.

"Rory!" Sheila called. "The printer's on the phone. We're losing our spot!"

"Crap! One second." She put the phone to her shoulder and grabbed the receiver Sheila offered.

"Hello, who am I speaking with?... Hello, Russel. This is Rory Gilmore. What's this I hear about us losing our spot?"

"Your deadline is up," Russel said, .

"Okay, we had an epidemic hit our staff this week," Rory explained. "Unfortunately it put us a bit behind, however, we are quickly getting back on track. So maybe, considering the circumstances, you could cut us some slack and give us an extension."

"We don't really do that," Russel said, obviously not buying her story.

"I understand that, but we have never asked for this before, and we will never ask again. By the way, Russel, you sound like a very handsome man. Do you work out?"

"I'm sorry, are you using your womanly wiles to get me to give you an extension?" Russel asked, sounding confused.

"Yes I'm using my wiles, and everything I can to get-"

"Okay, okay," Russel agreed. "I can give you an extra hour."

"Thank you very much, you have a slightly inappropriate Christmas card coming your way." Rory handed the phone back to Sheila. "We have a one hour extension!" She announced to the room, then picked her own phone back up.

"Sorry, it's insane here. Can I call you back when I get home?"

"Absolutely," Jess agreed. "But first, word to the wise, if you need to fill space, grab anything and everything you have banked for your next issue and put in this one. You can make up for it later."

"Thanks, I hadn't thought of that!"

"Happy to help. Good luck!"

She hung up and started sifting through the articles that had been pushed to the next edition, sending a few to editors so they could put them into the layout.

When the deadline finally came, the entire staff was huddled around two computers, as A.J finished typing the last article and Rory copied it to the final copy. They were minutes away from finishing when the phone rang.

"Yale Daily News," Bill snatched it up, then listened for a minute before turning to Rory. "I hate to break it to you, but we're losing our printing time."

"No!" Rory cried. "Remind Russel of the Christmas card!"

"I don't think he cares," Bill informed her. "He's giving our spot to the Current."

"He can't!"

"He did."

"So that's it!?" Rory cried. "We just lose?"

There was a moment of silence as the loss sank in, then she had a sudden idea.

"Bill, finish this!" She jumped up and grabbed the phone. "Hello, Russel? Yes, this is Rory Gilmore again. I hear there's another problem with our printing time... Well, here's the thing, we already sent the final copy to you... At least ten minutes ago."

She smacked Bill, trying to get him to type faster as she lied out her ass, thanking whatever Gods existed that Logan had taught her so well.

"If you're having a problem with your server, we shouldn't be penalized for that... go check."

Bill waved furiously, indicating that he needed more time.

"But before you do," Rory continued. "I was wondering if I could get your last name, and possibly your phone number, because I wasn't kidding before, you really do sound quite handsome."

She tried not to gag as the man on the other end of the phone started to awkwardly flirt with her, claiming that he went to the gym almost every day.

"Damn!" She cried when he started to give her his number. "My pen broke, just give me one second."

She pretended to be scrambling around her desk for a pen, all the while watching as Bill finished up. He finally gave her the thumbs up, and she went back to the phone.

"Sorry about that, okay, go ahead... Thanks, you can definitely expect a call from me. Now, if you go check the server, I can guarantee that our copy is there."

There was a few moments of pin drop worthy silence, as the entire staff held there breath and watched her.

"Great," she smiled. "I'm glad we could work this out. Uh-huh, I'll be sure to call you. Bye now."

Rory hung up the phone and turned to the staff with a grin on her face.

"And you thought we wouldn't make it."

The room erupted into screams as everyone celebrated the accomplishment, hugging and high-fiving. Rory was sure that if they'd had confetti anywhere, someone would have thrown it in the air.

"Alright!" Paris cried, suddenly entering the office. "We got the paper out! I knew we could do it!"

The celebration died down exponentially as everyone tried to avoid her, running from the room as quickly as they could. Paris didn't seem to notice, however, since she just kept smiling at everyone she passed, then went back to her bunker, presumably to start work on the next edition. Rory considered going in and convincing her to come home for the night, but thought better of it. Paris was in the kind of rabid mood Rory had been trained to avoid. If she wasn't home by morning, she would send Doyle in after her.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

"So, do you want me to pick you up, or do you want to go separately?" Lorelai asked when she called Rory on Friday afternoon. "Because I don't mind driving the extra couple miles to come get you."

"No, I'll just meet you there," Rory sighed.

"Okay, just know that if you stand me up, I _will_ find a way to take revenge out on you for making me have dinner with my parents alone."

"You're really selling this whole dinner thing," Rory frowned.

"It's going to be fun!" She assured her.

"I think we have very different ideas of fun. I have a class to go to, I'll see you tonight."

"6:45 in the driveway," Lorelai reminded her. "I'll be waiting for you!"

True to her word, Lorelai was leaning against her Jeep when Rory pulled into the driveway that night, smiling brightly.

"Hey, right on time!"

Rory got out of the car and stared up at the house nervously, trying to work up the nerve to go inside.

"Hey, do you remember when I was little and I was afraid of the house, and you used to try and tell me a story to make me want to go in?" She asked, turning to her mother.

"You want me to tell you a story?" Lorelai asked, staring at her daughter as if she were crazy.

"It can't hurt."

"Fine," Lorelai huffed. "Once upon a time there was a big house with thick glass windows and heavy stone walls and a slightly pornographic fountain in the driveway, and all the animals in the forest were scared of the house, because they thought the house was haunted. And so did all the villagers in the hamlet of Hartfordstonshire- how we doing?" She turned to Rory, hoping to finish her crappy story there.

"Keep going," Rory urged.

"'Maids go in, but they never come out' they would whisper," Lorelai continued begrudgingly. "One day, a beautiful young cowherderess walked by the house-"

"Cowherderess?" Rory interrupted.

"Hey, we could just go in," Lorelai pointed out.

"Cowherderess is walking," Rory quickly apologized.

"And suddenly she felt the unbearable need for a strand of pearls and a snifter of hundred year old scotch. So, leaving her cows, she climbed the high walls into the garden and rushed towards the enchanted french doors- that the queen had never been happy with, because the hardware was not what she had picked and- seriously, this didn't work when you were five!" She broke off from the story. "I'm pretty sure it's not going to work now. It's gonna be fine."

Rory frowned and continued staring at the house, still scared of what was waiting for her on the other side of the door.

"Come on, my little cowherderess," Lorelai wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her towards the door. "Do _you_ want to press the bell, or should I?"

For a few short minutes, she thought that she was safe. Her Grandfather was practically ignoring her and her Grandmother refused to stop painting. In a moment of hopefulness, Rory almost got to leave before drinks were even made, but Lorelai was having none of it and quickly snapped everyone back into shape. From that moment on, there was nothing short of world war three in the Gilmore residence. The entire night was a whirl wind of screaming, slamming dishes and intermittent hilarity, where Rory was convinced they had all lost their minds.

When the night was finally over, Rory and Lorelai slumped against the door, both breathing heavily after all the fighting. As always, no subject had been safe and everything from Lorelai's pregnancy and refusal to marry Christopher, to Rory's impromptu departure in the middle of the night and decision to let Christopher pay for Yale, was brought up. The night had knocked every ounce of strength Rory had left right out of her body.

"I think we've officially reinstated Friday Night Dinner," Lorelai finally spoke.

"I hope you're happy," Rory frowned.

Her mother sighed heavily, obviously not as pleased with the night's outcome as she had hoped.

"At least we broke the ice."

"Then fell through it, caught hypothermia and drowned," Rory pointed out.

"Fine, you're right." Her mother admitted. "Nothing we can do about it now, though."

She finally stepped away from the door and headed to her car.

"Are you coming home for the weekend?"

"No, I have a lot of work to get done," Rory shook her head. "A couple papers and an article for the Truncheon zine that I told Chris I'd get him this weekend."

"Okay," Lorelai pulled her into a hug. "Talk to you later, then."

Once Rory was in the car, however, she didn't go back to her apartment. As if on instinct, she found herself on the freeway headed towards Philadelphia. She wasn't sure why she had started driving in that direction, but something in the back of her mind must have told her she needed to be there after the night she had just had, so she didn't turn around. It was past midnight when she pulled up out front, but she could see the light in Jess's apartment was still on, so she went around to the back entrance and let herself in, then trudged up the stairs.

"Hey!" Jess looked up from his computer when he heard the lock turning. "What are you doing here?"

He got up and pulled her into his arms.

"I thought you had to work this weekend."

"I do," Rory nodded. "But I just had the crappiest Friday Night Dinner ever, and I wasn't even sure what I was doing and then I was driving here and I figured there must have been a reason that my brain told me to start driving, so I didn't turn around, and now I'm here."

Jess tried to follow her train of thought, nodding along.

"Okay. Do you want to talk about it?"

"First, I want to get out of these stupid clothes." She kicked her heels off and headed for the bedroom, leaving Jess to put on a pot of coffee before he followed her.

"What are you looking for?" He asked when he found her throwing clothes around the room frantically.

"The Nirvana t-shirt I stole from you."

"You took it to Yale with you, remember?" He got up and retrieved another t-shirt that she had thrown over her shoulder. "Wear this."

"Thanks," she grumbled and snatched the shirt from him, then stripped and threw it on. The shirt reached halfway down her thighs, so she didn't bother looking for sweatpants, just headed back into the living room.

"I made coffee," he offered.

"Great!" She nodded and grabbed a mug and a bag of Oreos from the cupboard.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" Jess asked again, once she was settled on the couch.

"No," she mumbled through a mouthful of cookies.

Jess raised an eyebrow in challenge and she let out a heavy sigh.

"It has been a very long night of yelling and screaming and mind games and hatred," she huffed. "There is no such thing as a calm dinner at my grandparents house. And I swear to God, they are incapable of letting _anything_ go! I'm so tired of listening to them yell about how I'm exactly like Mom, and how she should have married my Dad, and then about how terrible Dad is because he's paying for school now instead of them. God! It's just a vicious circle! No matter what you do, everything just comes back to the things we've done in the past to make them hate us!"

"They don't hate you," Jess assured her.

"Well they have a funny way of showing it," she frowned. "God, I'm starving!"

"Didn't you just have dinner?"

"We were too busy screaming at each other to actually eat anything," Rory explained. "Plus, dinner was in some weird sauce that tasted like Clamato juice."

"Do you want me to make you something?" Jess offered.

"No, I'm too tired to eat. I just want to go to sleep." She got up and returned the bag of Oreos the the cupboard, then went back into the bedroom and threw herself on the bed, leaving Jess very confused. He could tell this was going to be one of those bipolar weekends where she changed her mind every five minutes and couldn't keep a train of thought for more than a few sentences- at least their relationship would never be boring.

Jess picked his laptop back up, finished the page he had been working on, then turned off all the lights and joined Rory.

"Are you still awake?" He whispered.

"Yes," she grumbled. "I can't get the screaming out of my head."

Jess frowned and climbed into bed, pulling her against him.

"Do you want to know a secret?"

"No." She tried to roll away, but he held on, knowing she was just in a bad mood.

"Yeah you do," he told her. "I'm dedicating my book to you."

There was a pause and he felt her start to relax.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yep."

"That's really nice."

He could tell by her tone that she was starting to smile.

"Well, I wouldn't have been able to do it without you," he explained. "You're my muse."

"Wow, I've never been somebody's muse before. Do I have to do anything special?" She asked, excitement creeping into her voice.

"Your existence is pretty much enough," Jess assured her.

"You don't want me to wear a caftan and coo inspirational words in your ear?"

"I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't," he laughed.

"You don't think I'd look good in a caftan?" Rory rolled over to face him, slowly coming out of her mood.

"I think you'd look good in a paper bag," Jess assured her. "I just never got the appeal of having someone whisper inspiration in your ear. It always seemed pretty creepy."

"Fair enough. So what, are you just putting my name in the front?"

"No, there's a nice little blurb about you," Jess assured her.

"Can I at least read that?" she begged. "Seeing as it's not _technically_ the book."

"I'll consider it," he agreed.

"Good." She finally gave him a real smile, then snuggled into his shoulder. "Thank you."

When she woke up the next morning, Rory felt much better than she had when she arrived. For a minute, she forgot about the awfulness of the night before and just basked in the feeling of being back in Philadelphia. Even though she had only been gone for a few weeks, it felt like forever, and she relished the feeling of being back in her own bed.

She stilled at that thought, suddenly realizing what she had just thought. This was _her_ bed in _her_ apartment. She hadn't thought about it before now, really, but she was basically living with her boyfriend. They had never talked about it, but that seemed to be their situation and as she lay in her bed, feeling the spot where the love of her life slept beside her, she had a feeling of complete and utter bliss.

"Hey, you're up," Jess stood in the doorway.

"Ya," she smiled at him.

"What?"

"What?" She sat up.

"I don't know, you look..."

"Beautiful?" Rory suggested.

"Well, ya," he agreed. "You always look beautiful, but that's not I was gonna say. I was gonna say you look... really happy."

"I am."

"And what exactly is making you so happy this morning?" Jess asked, carrying in a cup of coffee.

"I was just thinking about how happy I am here."

"Well that's good," Jess chuckled. "It would kind of suck if you were practically living somewhere you hated... oh, wait."

"Shut up," Rory smacked his arm. "I like my other apartment."

"Your other apartment is a piece of crap," Jess frowned. "Just admit it."

"That doesn't mean I don't like it," she argued.

"You just like our place better?"

" _Our_ place?" Rory smirked.

"Yeah," Jess shrugged. "I mean, you've basically been living here for the last few months, your stuff takes up half the space."

"Is this your way of officially asking me to move in with you?" Rory asked, watching him over the top of her coffee cup.

"If you want to look at it like that, then sure," he nodded, then noticed the look on her face and frowned. "Now what?"

"You're squirming," she grinned. "I love it when you squirm."

"That's because you're a sadist."

"You want to know a secret?" She put her mug down on the night table.

"Sure."

"When you came in, that's what I was smiling about."

"What, watching me squirm?"

"No, I was thinking how happy I was here, and I realized that I thought of this as _our_ apartment- not just your apartment where I've been staying."

"Well, you know what they say about great minds," Jess smiled. "So, what do you say? Will you officially move in with me?"

"I guess." Rory shrugged nonchalantly, then beamed and lunged forward to kiss him. "You know what?"

"What?" Jess asked, still kissing her.

"I'm really happy."

"Me too."

Before they could get any happier there was a loud bang and the front door flew open.

"JESS!" Matt yelled. "Where are you!? We have a problem!"

"Maybe if we stay really quiet, he'll go away." Jess whispered, burying his face in Rory's collar bone.

"Jess!" The bedroom door swung open. "Get up! Hey Rory!"

"Hey, Matt." Rory bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look on Jess's face. "What's wrong?"

"Benji's downstairs demanding we give him back his book because he hates it and it can't be published."

"Damn it!" Jess jumped off the bed and pulled his shirt back as he ran down the stairs.

Benji was his best author, he was also their most temperamental author, and before he put out a new book, they always had to spend the weeks leading up to publication talking him off the ledge. He was a perfectionist that only dealt in extremes, either his book was the greatest thing to ever be published or it wasn't worthy of being toilet paper. His new book was coming out in three days, and Jess couldn't afford to have him pull back now.

"I thought Benji was doing better," Rory turned to Matt once Jess had run off. "I thought this was his greatest masterpiece."

"It was," Matt nodded. "My best guess would be that he had a really bad trip last night that he hasn't come down from yet."

"Would it help if I went downstairs?" She asked. "Last time I checked, he liked me."

"It's all hands on deck," Matt shrugged. "If you think you can reel him back in, go for it."

"Alright, get out so I can get dressed and try to charm him."

"Fantastic!" Matt beamed. "God, our lives are so much easier when you're here."

"I'm glad you noticed. Now seriously, get out."

"Right! Sorry!" Matt turned and closed the door, leaving her to get dressed in peace.

When she got downstairs, Jess and Matt were sitting on their desks while Benji paced back and forth, ranting and raving. As slowly and quietly as she could, Rory joined them, trying not to disturb Benji's ramblings. She sat down on her own desk, which Jess had brought in for her right before she had gone back to school, and tried to figure out what the problem was.

"It's all wrong!" Benji was crying. "There's no heart in it! The imagery is utter shit! The characters are empty shells and I can't bear to have my name on it!"

"Benji," Rory interrupted as softly as she could. "I've read your new book, remember."

"Yes, you did the final edit," he nodded.

"Right, I read it less than a month ago, and I'm telling you it's fantastic. The characters completely came alive and the imagery was the best I've ever read," she assured him. "The allusions to Brian Greene's work are beautifully done, and anyone who doesn't see that is an idiot."

As she spoke, he slowly stopped pacing and stood in front of her.

"Do you really think that?" He asked. "You really think it's good enough?"

"Benji, I can honestly say that I think it would be a crime to change _anything_ in that book."

They all held their breath as Benji digested her comments, praying that he would take them to heart.

"What do you guys think?" Benji turned to the others.

"I think Rory is the smartest person here, and she absolutely knows what she's talking about," Matt agreed. "I don't think you're book could get any better."

"Jess?" Benji asked.

"You know I respect your perfectionism," Jess assured him. "But I'm with Rory. I don't think it could get any better, and if you start screwing with it now, you could ruin an amazing thing."

He started to pace again, mulling over their words while Jess, Rory and Matt exchanged worried looks, then stopped and nodded.

"Okay. If you're really sure."

"We are!" Rory assured him. "I promise."

"Okay then," he nodded. "I'll leave it the way it is."

"I think that's the right choice," Rory nodded. "Now, do you want me to call you a cab?"

She could tell that he was finally coming down from last night's high and knew there was no way he was going to make it home without some sort of supervision.

"No, I have a friend waiting for me outside. Thanks, Rory."

"Anytime."

Without another word, he turned and ran out the door, leaving Matt and Jess to drop into their chairs, completely exhausted.

"Seriously, what would we do without you!?" Matt mimicked bowing to Rory. "I swear to God, you're the only person who can get him to back down without spending hours on it."

"I'm just talented," Rory shrugged.

"Talented, magical," Jess shrugged. "You're something, that's for sure."

"I'm so glad you noticed," she smiled. "Now I need coffee, and then I need to figure out where I left my cellphone last night."

"Well it sounds like you have a very busy morning planned," Matt nodded. "So thank you for taking time out of that to deal with our nuclear meltdown in progress."

"Just remember how much you like me when I go back to New Haven on Monday, instead of calling and emailing me everyday to complain."

"Come on, I'll make you breakfast." Jess got up and grabbed her hand, leading her up the stairs.

"Is that what the kids are calling it now?" Matt called after them.

"Hey, where's Cynthia?" Jess shot back.

"That's cold, man."

Jess shrugged and followed Rory back up to _their_ apartment _._


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

When Rory walked into the paper on Monday afternoon, she found the entire staff sitting with their heads together, whispering furiously.

"Alright," she put her coat down. "Lay it on me."

"Big shock, it's Paris," AJ said sarcastically.

"What did she do _now_?" Rory sighed.

"It's not what she's done, but what's been done to her," Bill said.

"The Howell Raines-ing is complete," Joni explained.

"She's out?" Rory asked, not exactly surprised.

"The board has spoken," Bill nodded.

"More like screamed," Sheila corrected.

"How did she take it?" Rory asked, a little afraid of the answer.

"She hasn't," Bill shook his head.

"She won't come out of her bunker. We were just trying to figure out how to get her out."

"Tear gas!" Someone cried. "How do we get tear gas?"

"Stand down, everyone," Rory frowned. "I'll tell her."

"Really?" AJ asked.

"Really. Besides, it's probably best whoever does it doesn't chuckle with glee while they tell her, _Bill._ "

"I would not chuckle," he chuckled. "Oh my God, that was completely inadvertent."

Rory just shook her head at him and headed for the bunker. Paris waved her in as she finished up a phone call.

"This job is 24/7," Paris huffed as she hung up. "It's not enough to put out an outstanding paper, I have to coddle alumni and advertisers when they call and complain about the tiniest little mistakes! Do you want some soup?"

She wheeled her chair over to a hot plate with an open can on it.

"There's no ventilation in here," Rory frowned.

"I'm careful!" Paris snapped.

"Right, well, no thank you," Rory shook her head. "I just came in here to... I was just thinking..." She tried to find a way to start.

"Yeah?" Paris prodded.

"Five plus years? That we've known each other," she finally said. "Five-plus, that we've been friends."

"That long, huh?" Paris asked distractedly, seasoning her can.

"It seems like forever ago, Chilton, the day we met. Just a couple of rosy cheeked kids."

"My face inflamed easily back then," Paris explained. "Too many tomatoes and red peppers."

"We got off to kind of a rocky start," Rory continued. "We were competitors, but somewhere along the way we became friends- good friends, I think, because we respected each other and supported each other. Through good times, and bad."

"Did I open this can today, or yesterday?" Paris wondered aloud, obviously not listening to what Rory was saying.

"This is one of those not so good times, Paris." She tried to get her attention back.

"I know. If the hurricanes don't kill us, the bird flu will."

"I mean for you," Rory clarified. "Here, at the paper."

This seemed to grab Paris's attention.

"The board voted you out."

"Oh. I see," Paris rolled back from her hot plate. "So it's over."

"I'm sorry," Rory tried to comfort her. "I just found out. I'm so sorry."

"Well, it's not like I didn't have a clue that was a possibility," Paris reasoned.

"It has been pretty tense around here."

"So, are they all out there excitedly awaiting my perp walk?"

"Oh, who cares? Who cares about them?" Rory waved angrily towards the newsroom. "You don't perp walk. You're Paris Geller, you walk tall. You're better than all of them."

"Really?" Paris asked, obviously not believing her.

"Definitely," Rory assured her. "And this job, Paris, being editor, you don't need this- this hassle. You're gonna be a doctor."

"Surgeon," she corrected.

"And a lawyer."

"Judge."

"That's a hell of a workload. And the workload here, the indignities, smoothing the ruffled feathers of advertisers, covering sports- as if they matter- you're exhausted, stretched thin, eating soup out of a can!"

"Soup I don't even like," Paris agreed.

"See, this might not be such a bad thing."

"I have been pretty tired," Paris reasoned. "And I'll be damned if I'm gonna give those people a perp walk."

"Good," Rory smiled. "Good attitude."

"Let's get out of this spider hole and deal with this," Paris got up from her chair.

"I am with you friend!" Rory leaned over and shut off the hot plate, then followed her out to listen to Paris's rousing 'resignation' speech.

As soon as she was gone, Bill walked over to the grease board and moved her magnet over, causing the newsroom to erupt into cheers, much to Rory's chagrin.

They spent the rest of the week casting endless votes for a new editor. By Friday everyone was exhausted and agitated, and still in a total deadlock.

"This is ridiculous!" Sheila cried. "We're not getting anywhere!"

"Why don't we take a break and get some coffee, or more food?" Rory offered. "Try and clear our heads a bit."

"I'm way too wired to drink anymore coffee!" Joni shook her head. "What we need is to find someone we can actually agree on."

"We need a new name," AJ agreed.

"How about Gilmore?" Bill said suddenly.

"I like that name," Joni mused.

"I like that name," AJ echoed.

"Whoa, wait!" Rory jumped up in an attempt to stop them from adding her name. Unfortunately her refusal didn't seem to do much good, as people around the room started nodding in agreement.

"Got a statement?" Bill asked her.

"No, um..." She wrung her hands nervously. "I'm flattered. But I did miss that semester, so there's the question of seniority."

"We passed taking seniority into account twelve votes ago," Joni assured her.

"You totally bailed us out that night," Sheila reasoned.

"The paper wouldn't have gone out without you," AJ agreed.

"What's your hesitation?" Bill asked. "Is it Paris?"

"No, it's not Paris, it's just... you know what, no. I'm not hesitating," she shook her head. "I accept the nomination."

"Please tell me we don't have to vote!?" Joni begged. "She seems pretty consensus-y."

"All those in favour of Gilmore, say 'Aye'," Bill offered.

The staff let out a communal 'Aye', everyone nodding happily.

"That sounded pretty consensus-y to me. Congratulations," Bill nodded to her.

"Thank you," Rory laughed completely shocked by the sudden turn of events. "I promise I won't let you down."

Without another word, people started piling folders on her desk with articles and photos to be approved and assigned.

As exciting as her new promotion was, Rory was dreading what she would walk into when she got home- Paris had never exactly been one for rationality.

She had expected a lot of yelling about backstabbing and betrayal, and possibly the need to run and hide before Paris could kill her. She didn't expect silence.

When she walked through the front door, Paris was sitting on the couch studying, and Rory fought the urge to bolt to her room and lock the door immediately.

"Hey, Paris." She greeted her nervously.

Paris didn't look up from her work, didn't even acknowledge that she had heard her.

"Paris?" Rory asked again. "Are you okay?"

More silence.

"Look, I'm sorry. I promise you that I didn't lobby for the position or anything, I even tried to turn it down, but the board was insistent," she tried to explain. "I really am sorry."

Paris still didn't look up, she just kept on highlighting her book and making notes.

"Paris," Rory pleaded. "You're not even going to talk to me?!"

The continued silence seemed to answer her question, and Rory decided to give up for the time being. She would try and get through to her later, once she'd had time to cool off.

Dropping onto her bed, Rory pulled out her phone and called Jess to tell him the news.

"That's awesome, Ror!" He congratulated her. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks," she sighed.

"Why don't you sound as excited about this as I am?"

"Paris," Rory huffed. "I think she thinks I helped oust her so I could get the position- which I didn't!"

"Come on, Rory, nobody whose met you would ever think that," Jess argued. "You're the nicest person ever, it can be nauseating sometimes."

"How sweet of you," Rory said sarcastically. "Paris has a tendency towards rashness, though. I wouldn't have put it past her to kick me out, but this is new. The silent treatment is not her usual form of revenge- which is worrying."

"What, you think you're gonna wake up in the middle of the night and she'll be holding a knife over you?"

"I didn't until now!" Rory cried. "Thanks a lot."

"I'm nothing if not helpful," Jess laughed. "Crap, I gotta go. I'm really happy for you!"

"Thanks," Rory sighed. "Call me later?"

"Definitely. Love you!"

"Love you, too." Rory hung up the phone and started to get ready for dinner with her grandparents, packing an extra bag so she could go home with her mother afterwards and give Paris space to cool off.

Dinner was just as tense as the week before, though with notably less yelling, despite Rory's announcement that she had been made Editor in Chief. Lorelai decided to cut the evening short before dessert could be served, claiming that there was some sort of wedding emergency she needed to deal with immediately. Rory wasn't exactly sure if her grandparents actually bought the excuse, but she was willing to take it- anything to get out of that house.

"I'm starving," Lorelai cried once they got home.

"Me too. Pizzas?"

"With tater tots!" Lorelai agreed. "And turnovers."

While Lorelai prepared their second dinner, Rory got changed into her new pair of Yale sweats, then joined her mother in the living room.

"Those are new," Lorelai observed as she sat down, handing her daughter a Poptart to snack on. "Did you get some for Mommy?"

"They're on your bed," Rory nodded.

"You know who might like a Yale sweatshirt?" Lorelai asked as they channel surfed.

"They don't make them for dogs," Rory cut her off. "I already asked."

"That's okay, he's a Princeton man anyways," Lorelai shook her head. "I was talking about Christopher."

"Dad?" Rory asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah, I think he'd love it!" Lorelai nodded. "It'll make him feel all Daddy-ish."

"Okay, sure." Rory nodded. "I'll pick one up for him."

"You know what else he'd probably like?"

"The matching sweatpants?"

"Well, yes, probably," Lorelai agreed. "But I was going to suggest a tour."

"Of Yale?"

"No, of the house," her mother said sarcastically. "Yes of Yale! Take him around campus and show him the libraries and crap- make him feel included."

"Okay, I'll call him tomorrow," Rory agreed.

"Just bear in mind that if you bore him to death, he'll be a lot harder to carry around campus than I was."

"I'm not going to bore him to death," Rory scoffed.

"Well you don't exactly have the greatest track record," Lorelai shrugged.

"Shut up! I give great tours!"

"Of course you do, Honey. Just, maybe skip the boring classes. And don't make him smell all the old books, and you know, once you've seen the first lecture hall you've seen them all-"

"This is _my_ tour!" Rory interrupted her.

"Fine," Lorelai raised her hands in surrender. "But don't come crying to me when you have to spend the day dragging your Dad's limp body across the quad."

"I won't," Rory assured her. "Why don't you go check on our dinner?"

"You know, there was a time when you appreciated my advice you ungrateful spawn," Lorelai huffed.

"And I'm sure you have very fond memories of those days," Rory conceded. "But now I have to make grown-up decisions, and you don't exactly have the best track record with those."

"Huh!" Lorelai scoffed. "Well if that's how you're gonna be, then maybe you won't get any dinner."

"I'll just go to Luke's," Rory shrugged. "He still loves me."

"That's because you haven't betrayed him yet," Lorelai explained.

"Pfft," Rory moved past her mother to get to the oven. "You're insane- and you're burning dinner."

"Because ungrateful spawn only deserve burnt dinner."

"That's your dinner too," Rory pointed out.

"Drat!" Lorelai frowned. "Luke's?"

"Luke's."

Rory turned the oven off and leaned down to pull that pan out but her mother waved her off.

"We'll just get it later. I'm hungry now."

"It's a miracle we haven't burned this house down yet," Rory mused, following her mother out the door.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

The weeks leading up to Christopher's visit were tense, to say the least. Paris was keeping up the whole silent treatment fiasco, despite both Rory and Doyle's attempts to get her to come around. She would only speak to Rory at the paper, and even then she kept it as short as possible. If she had been anyone else, Rory would have kicked her off, but she knew that Paris was just hurt and she would come around eventually- at least that was what Doyle kept telling her.

On top of Paris's constant denial of her existence, Rory had been so busy between the paper and her classes, she hadn't had any time to get back to Philadelphia since the reinstatement of Friday Night Dinner, and she was seriously missing Jess. So when he called to tell her that he had planned a trip for Valentine's weekend, she couldn't say 'yes' fast enough.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise"

"But I can't pack for a surprise," Rory argued. "I need specifics."

"Pack like a normal person," he told her.

"I don't know what that means!" Rory cried. "If you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly normal."

"I had noticed," Jess assured her. "I meant that you don't have to pack anything special... well, you might want to pack something nice, but other than that..."

"What does 'something nice' entail?" Rory demanded. "Are we talking ball gowns, or leaving my 'What Would Janet Jackson Do' shirt at home? Or do you mean bring nice lingerie? I need details!"

"I'm never going to tell you not to bring nice lingerie," Jess laughed. "That seems like a no brainer. But you can skip the ball gown."

"Jess!" Rory whined. "I need a specific detail, or I'm bringing my entire closet and making you carry it. Give me _something_!"

"Bring something to wear to a nice restaurant," Jess finally gave in.

"See, was that so hard?" Rory asked.

"I'll pick you up on Friday," he huffed.

"It'll have to be later in the afternoon," she told him. "I'm having lunch with my dad and giving him a tour of Yale."

"Alright, I'll swing by around 5."

"You could come early and hang out with us," Rory offered.

"I'll swing by around 5."

"Fine," she huffed. "I'll see you Friday."

"See you Friday."

"I haven't seen a single kid that looks smarter than you on this entire campus," Christopher told his daughter as they finished their lunch Friday afternoon.

"Well I think you're a little biased," Rory laughed. "But I'll take it."

"I'm keeping count, too," he informed her as they walked. "517 so far, and not one of them smarter than you."

As he spoke, a couple of girls walked past them, then turned to each other and started whispering.

"I don't believe this!" Rory cried, glaring at the girls.

"What?"

"Did you not see that?" she demanded. "They totally checked you out!"

"Really?" Chris asked, looking a little proud of himself.

"It's the same when Mom visits," Rory shook her head. "I swear, I hate having hot parents!"

"Sorry," Chris shrugged.

"Oh! Come here," Rory waved him over to an open lecture hall and pointed to the professor. "I had him for Microeconomics last year."

They stood and listened for a second, until Christopher started to make snoring noises.

"Dad!" Rory smacked him.

"Wha- huh- fungible?" He spluttered.

"That's a Nobel prize winner!" Rory scolded him.

"The dull dude?" Chris frowned. "He doesn't even own an iron."

"I can't take you anywhere!"

"No, you can't." He laughed as she pulled him away from the hall and back outside. "So, we've seen the libraries and your classes and the toe," he summed up. "Anything else I should see?"

"I don't think so," Rory shook her head. "That's pretty much everything."

"Hey, what about your place?" Chris asked.

"My place?"

"Yeah, I want to see it."

"Why?" Rory demanded.

"Because I'm curious," he shrugged. "I want to see where my kid lives."

"Well, it's pretty messy right now..." she tried to deter him.

"The lady who cleans my house has to use a bulldozer," her father laughed. "Messy doesn't scare me."

"Well, okay," Rory finally agreed, desperately hoping Paris wouldn't be there.

"Lead the way!"

She could tell by the look on his face as they walked up that he was just about as thrilled with the place as her mom had been.

"Who are they?" He asked, gesturing to the guys in the vestibule.

"They're a doo-wop group."

"Uh-huh," he frowned, obviously not buying the not-so-clever lie. "No elevator?"

"No, it's broken," Rory shook her head. "But stairs are good, they give you exercise."

"Sure," Chris nodded.

"This is me," she stopped at the door and started unlocking everything.

"That's quite a system you've got, there," Chris observed.

"Well, my roommate- Paris, she can be a bit overcautious." She finally got all the lock open, kicked the door and led him inside. "So, this is it. That's the living room, kitchen, Paris and Doyle's room is there and this is my room."

She opened the door and led him inside.

"Rory," he frowned.

"Dad, don't say it," she shook her head. "It's fine! It's in a safe neighbourhood and it's close to campus and the price is right."

"Are you forgetting that your Dad is loaded?" Chris asked her. "Why don't you let me pay for an apartment that doesn't need the same amount of security as the nuclear launch pad?"

"Dad, I like it here," Rory shook her head. "This is what college is supposed to be like- crappy apartments and Kraft Dinner."

"But wouldn't it be nice to live long enough to graduate?" Chris asked. "Instead of being murdered and stuffed in a duffel bag by your friends downstairs?"

"They're not dangerous," Rory assured him. "They don't bother you if you don't bother them."

"Because that's what every parent wants to hear about their daughter's living situation," he frowned.

"Come on, Dad." Rory pleaded. "Just let it be."

Fine," he grumbled.

"Really?"

"Call me Mother Mary," her father assured her. "But the second there's a murder on this block, I'm getting you an apartment with a doorman and a panic button."

"Deal," Rory agreed.

"So, where are your roommates?"

"I have no idea," Rory shrugged. "Paris is giving me the silent treatment because I took over as editor of the paper when they fired her. She hasn't talked to me in a month."

"What? Do you want me to try to talk to her?" Chris offered.

"No, it's fine," Rory assured him. "She'll come around eventually. It just means that the apartment has been pretty hostile lately."

"Yet another reason to let your old Dad pay for a new one," he pointed out.

"Dad," Rory warned.

"Alright," he put his hands up. "I'm dropping it. You going somewhere?"

He looked over and noticed the suitcase by the door.

"Oh, yeah, Jess planned some sort of Valentine's Weekend trip."

"That's nice. Where are you going?"

"He won't tell me," Rory sulked.

"Well I'm sure it'll be great," Chris assured her. "Crap, I have to get going. I only have the babysitter until 5. Thanks for showing me around, though."

"It was fun," Rory smiled and hugged him. "We should do it more often."

"Whenever you want kid, I'm always around." Chris beamed.

He assured Rory that he could walk himself downstairs, and promised not to threaten the Doo-wop group on his way out, so she watched him from the doorway, then went back to her room to finish up some last minute details for the paper before Jess got there.

She was wearing headphones, so she didn't hear him knock, prompting Paris to begrudgingly answer the door.

"Hey, Paris," Jess greeted her and stepped inside. "Is Rory back yet?"

"How would I know?" Paris demanded. "You know where her room is."

Without another word she slammed the door, turned all the locks and stomped back to her room, slamming the door shut.

Not at all phased by the hostile greeting, Jess shrugged and knocked lightly on Rory's door. When he didn't hear anything, he stuck his head inside and saw her sitting with her back to the door, working on her computer with her headphones on.

"Hey!" He walked over and pulled an ear bud out, making her jump.

"Hey! How did you get in?"

"Paris. She still not talking to you?"

"No," Rory huffed. "It's getting ridiculous."

"I can imagine," Jess nodded. "But at least you don't have to worry about her this weekend. Are you ready to go?"

"Just let me send this to the paper and I'll be good," she turned around and finished up her e-mail. "So are you going to tell me where we're going now?"

"Nope. I might even make you wear a blindfold the whole way there."

"Not happening," Rory shook her head. "It would mess up my hair."

"Which is currently tied up," Jess pointed out.

"I'm still not wearing a blindfold."

"Fine, take all the fun out it!" Jess threw his hands up.

"Don't be so dramatic!" She finished typing and closed her laptop. "Okay, I'm ready."

"You're not bringing your computer?" Jess asked, noticing that she wasn't packing it up.

"Nope. I left Doyle in charge of any paper emergencies and I finished all my classwork yesterday so I could spend the whole weekend with you."

"Wow! I feel special."

"Good," she smiled. "Let's go."


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

"We're going to New York?" Rory guessed when they got on the freeway.

"Maybe."

"What are we doing in New York?"

"I didn't say we were going to New York," Jess pointed out.

"Then where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"You're impossible!" Rory groaned.

"Look who's talking!" Jess cried. "You're the most stubborn person I know!"

"That is _not_ true," Rory laughed. "There are tons of people who are more stubborn than me."

"Name one," Jess challenged.

"My mother."

She had him there, Lorelai was a force unto herself.

"Fine," he grumbled. "You win."

"So we're going to New York?"

"Maybe."

"Jess!"

"Yes, fine, we're going to New York," he relented.

"I knew it!" Rory cried. "So what are we doing?"

"You've got to let me have a few surprises, Ror."

"I don't like surprises," she argued.

"You'll like mine," Jess assured her. "How was lunch with your Dad?"

"It was actually really nice. I showed him all my classes, and the dorms where I used to live, and the libraries-"

"And he didn't pass out from boredom?"

"Shut up! He had fun!" Rory pouted.

"If you say so," Jess shrugged.

"I do."

"What did he say about your apartment?"

"He wasn't exactly a fan," Rory admitted. "He took one look at the place and announced he was buying me a new one."

"As any sane parent would," Jess nodded.

"There's _nothing_ wrong with my apartment!" Rory insisted.

"Other than the fact that it looks like something out of a horror movie."

"Okay, new topic!" Rory cried, tired of defending her apartment to everybody. "How's your book going?"

"Good. I think I'm about halfway through, unless I change my mind about the ending."

"Is it a happy ending?" Rory asked.

"I haven't decided yet."

"But I thought you knew what the ending was," Rory frowned.

"I do," Jess agreed. "I just haven't decided if the rest of the story is going to make the ending seem happy or sad."

"See, this is why I like non-fiction," Rory said. "You don't have to figure those kinds of things out, the story is open and shut."

"I guess that's a matter of perspective," Jess mused.

"Not really," she shook her head. "A story is a story- it is what it is."

"Are you telling me that you haven't put a spin on a story to make it seem happier than it is, or to make it pull on someone's heartstrings?" Jess challenged.

"I guess that happens sometimes," she relented. "But it's different. The whole point of the news is to say exactly what happened with as little spin as possible. With fiction, it could be the saddest ending in the world, but if you spin the story properly your reader will think it ended like a fairy tale."

"Have you ever read a fairytale?" Jess frowned. "Most of them end in death and sadness."

"Not all of them," Rory argued.

"Name one!" Jess challenged.

"Cinderella."

"The step-sisters get chunks of their feet cut off!" Jess cried. "And then the birds peck their eyes out!"

"But Cinderella still gets the Prince and lives happily ever after," Rory reasoned. "You can't do that with an article for a paper or something. If someone was murdered, there is no happy ending to that story, there's no spinning a bright side."

"Okay," Jess shrugged. "I guess you have a point."

"So why don't you know if it's going to be a happy ending?" Rory asked.

"I haven't quite figured out the vibe I want to give off with this book," he explained. "It'll come to me while I'm working."

"That's a very existential way of looking at things," Rory said, a little impressed. "I've never thought of you as existential."

"Well I guess you don't know everything about me," he shrugged.

"Apparently not," she agreed.

"You'll just have to stick around to learn the rest."

"I guess I will," Rory agreed.

They drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes, holding hands over the gear shift and just enjoying the feeling of being with each other while Rory scanned the radio for something to listen to.

"Are we there yet?" She finally asked.

"Does it look like we're there?" Jess motioned outside the car, where they were surrounded by nothing but freeway and trees.

"Well, since I don't know where 'there' is, I wouldn't know, now would I?" Rory pointed out.

"We're not even out of Connecticut yet," Jess scoffed. "We'll be there soon."

"I'm hungry."

"You're a lot of work," Jess huffed. "You know that?"

"I do, yes," Rory nodded. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm hungry. Let's pull over and get dinner."

"Alright," Jess agreed. "I'll pull off at the next exit."

They swung through a drive thru to pick up burgers and milkshakes, then got back on the road.

When they finally got into the city, Rory paid careful attention to which direction they were heading, trying to figure out where exactly they were going. Unfortunately, she still had no idea.

"Are we going to sleep on a bench in Washington Square Park?" She asked. "Because that doesn't exactly scream Valentine's Day, you know? I mean, my parents were going to sleep on park benches in Europe after high school, but then they had me so that kind of got thrown out the window- at least for Mom. I don't actually know if my Dad went without her."

"We're not sleeping on a park bench," Jess assured her.

"Are we staying at The Chelsea?" She guessed. "Because that would be cool and all, but I would spend the entire weekend scared that I was going to end up dead on the bathroom floor, even though we wouldn't be doing drugs and I know you wouldn't murder me. But still, there's a lot of bad vibes going on in there."

"We're not staying at The Chelsea."

"Can we _go_ there though? Because that would be really cool."

"If you want," Jess laughed.

"Are we there yet?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you need to be more patient?" Jess asked. "Because if not, I'm telling you now."

"I've heard that," Rory nodded. "I never really paid those people too much attention, though."

"Maybe you should."

"Where are we going!?"

"We're here," Jess pulled into a parking garage.

"Wow! So we're sleeping in the car," she said sarcastically.

"We can just go home," he offered. "Since you have such little faith in me."

"No, I'm sorry!" She put her hand over his to stop him from putting the car in reverse. "I'm sure it'll be super romantic sleeping in a parking garage."

"Get out of the car," Jess shook his head, pushing her shoulder and opening his own door.

He got their bags out of the trunk and started walking away.

"Hey, wait!" Rory grabbed her purse and chased after him, linking her arm through his. "So, where exactly are we? I stopped paying attention a while ago."

"We are currently on Park Avenue," Jess told her.

"And we're going where?"

"Madison Avenue."

"How far is it?" she asked. "Because if there's a lot of walking involved in this, I'm going to need coffee."

"It's two minutes," Jess said. "I think you'll make it."

"Fine," she huffed. "But you better be telling the truth, or else you'll have to carry me."

"If I carry you, then who's going to carry the bags?"

"You're strong," Rory shrugged. "I'm sure you could do it."

"I'm so glad you have faith in me," he said sarcastically.

"Oh my God!" Rory stopped suddenly, looking up the street. "No. No way!"

She gaped at Jess, looking between him and the entrance to a hotel a few yards away.

"You didn't!"

"Why don't you come find out?" Jess asked. "Or you could stand there with your mouth open for the next two days."

Rory didn't have to be told twice, she quickly took his arm again and practically skipped the rest of the way up the street, a giddy smile plastered all over her face.

"Welcome to The Library Hotel," the desk clerk smiled at them. "How can I help you."

Rory stared around the lobby in total awe. There were shelves covering every wall, full of some of the most beautiful books she had ever seen. Interspersed among the shelves were couches and chairs, where guests sat and drank coffee and read.

"Checking in," Jess pulled her to the desk. "The reservation is under Mariano."

"Ah, yes. I have it right here," the girl smiled brightly and accepted the card Jess handed her. "If I could just get you to sign here." She handed him a pen and contract, then turned to Rory.

"Are you familiar with the hotel, Ma'am?"

Rory decided to ignore the fact that this woman had just "Ma'am'ed" her and shook her head, still completely in awe of where she was standing.

"In that case, the hotel is based around the Dewey Decimal System. Each floor corresponds to a category, and each room to a specific topic in that category. It looks like you'll be in the Music Room." She put a set of key cards on the counter for them. "Seventh floor, room 005. There's a sign outside the door. Would you like someone to help with your bags?"

"No, that's okay. I've got them," Jess told her.

"Very good, sir. The elevator is just over there, and your complimentary breakfast will be in the Reading Room between 7 and 10:30 tomorrow. Please enjoy your stay, and if you need anything just call down."

"Thanks," Jess nodded, then turned and took Rory by the hand. "Come on."

"This is the most amazing- The most incredible-" she stammered as they walked to the elevator. "I didn't even know this place existed. Oh my God!"

"I take it you're impressed?" Jess laughed, pulling her onto the elevator.

As soon as the doors closed, she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately.

"I'll take that as a yes," he smirked.

"God, I love you!" she beamed.

"Good to know."

The doors opened again and they staggered out, looking up and down the hallway to figure out where they were supposed to be.

"There it is," Rory pointed a few doors to their left. "007.005, Music."

Jess opened the door and motioned for her to go inside, following behind her. It was smaller than she had expected, but not in a bad way. There was a king size bed across from a desk and mirror, and multiple shelves full of books all around the room. There was a small TV across from the bed and a beautifully decorated bathroom that Rory would have been happy to die in.

"Want a drink?" Jess asked, noticing the complimentary bottle of champagne sitting on the desk.

"Fancy!" Rory smirked. "Yes please. Just don't hit me with the cork."

"Such little faith!" He cried, successfully opening the bottle.

"Hey, I was just being careful!" She put her hands up in defence. "I know exactly how much it hurts to get a cork to the face."

"Well it's a good thing you're with me and not that idiot," Jess smiled. "I would never hit you with a cork."

"He didn't either. That was Finn."

"Well I'm sure Matt and Chris would never do that either," Jess offered.

"I'm not!" She took the glass he handed her.

"To us," Jess held up his own glass.

"To us," Rory grinned.

They clinked their glasses together, then fell onto the bed.

"There's a bar upstairs," Jess said. "We could go check it out."

"Or we could just stay here," Rory smiled. "I mean, this room is pretty great, and we have this whole bottle of champagne..."

"There is that," Jess smirked.

"I think we deserve a night in."

"Ya?"

"Ya." She leaned over and kissed him. "This was a really good surprise."

"I'm glad." He took her glass and put it back on the table. "I missed you the last couple weeks."

"Ya?" She put her arms around his neck.

"Ya," he nodded.

"How much?"

"Do you remember in The Princess Bride, when the chick with the stupid name-"

"Buttercup."

"Ya her," Jess nodded. "When she realizes she's in love with Westley and goes to tell him."

"More and more every hour," Rory smiled. "That's a lot of missing. I'm surprised you didn't die of loneliness."

"The thought of seeing you kept me going," he smirked.

"And what exactly were you thinking about?"

She looked like the cat that had swallowed the canary, but he would soon fix that.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

When Rory woke the next morning, it took her a minute to remember where she was. When she did, her face broke into a broad smile. She rolled onto her side and watched Jess as he slept, thinking about how much she loved him, and how happy she was.

"You're being creepy," he mumbled, making her smile.

"I am not."

"You're watching me sleep. That's creepy."

"You watch me sleep all the time," she pointed out.

"Because I worry about you," he opened his eyes. "It makes me feel better having you in front of me."

"That's sweet, but you don't need to worry about me."

"If only that were true," Jess sighed. "What time is it?"

"Nine," Rory looked at the clock. "Get up, I need coffee."

Jess buried his face in the pillow, groaning.

"Come on!" Rory shoved his shoulder. "The sooner we get up, the sooner we can go do stuff."

"What if I had just planned on locking you in this hotel room with me for the weekend?" Jess asked. "Then we wouldn't have stuff to do, and we could keep sleeping."

"Then you would have been stupid," Rory snorted. "Because we both know that as much as I love being locked in here with you, I still need to get up and do stuff."

When he still didn't move, she sat up on her knees and started jumping, pushing his shoulder.

"Okay, okay!" He groaned. "I'm getting up!"

He sat up and stretched, smirking when he saw her watching him.

"See something you like?"

"Maybe." She smirked and jumped out of bed, opening her bags and searching for clothes. "See something _you_ like?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Definitely. Are you really set on this whole breakfast thing?"

She shot him a look that suggested nothing good would come from not feeding her.

"Alright, alright!" He relented, finally getting to his feet and searching for his clothes.

Once they were dressed, they headed down to breakfast, which was available in the Reading Room.

"It's like heaven," Rory sighed as they walked in. "Look at all the books!"

"You're so easy to please," Jess laughed, admiring the look of complete bliss that covered her face.

"I know," she grinned at him.

They found the complimentary breakfast and poured themselves coffee, then sat down. The first sip, however, caused Rory's face to immediately morph from a look of delight to disgust.

"God Almighty, Mr Murkle!" She coughed. "That's disgusting."

"Seriously?"

"God, yes!" She put the cup down and pushed it away, not even wanting to smell the stuff.

"So not exactly heaven," Jess observed.

"It will be if we supply our own coffee."

"Come on," Jess smiled. "I know where we can get good coffee."

They went up to their room to finish getting ready for their day out, then took a cab to a diner Jess had liked back when he was living in the city.

"My hero!" Rory sighed once she'd taken a sip of coffee.

"Better?"

"So much better!" She beamed. "So, what are we doing today?"

"Well, I thought you might like to go to The Strand and wander for a bit," Jess told her.

"I love The Strand," Rory beamed. "Hey, can we go to that record store that you like over in wherever it is?"

"That's very specific," Jess nodded. "You should be a tour guide."

"Ha ha," Rory frowned. "You know the one I mean."

"I _do_ know the one you mean," Jess agreed. "We can go if you want. As far as I know it's still open."

From breakfast they walked to the book store and spent the morning browsing. They could have spent the entire weekend there, but eventually Rory needed to be fed again, so they took their purchases and got hot dogs before heading for the subway.

"This feels oddly familiar," Rory mused as they waited for their train.

"Does it?" Jess smirked. "I hadn't noticed."

"No? Maybe it's just me then," she shrugged.

"I guess so. This is us," Jess pointed as a train pulled up.

They found a couple seats near the back of the carriage that didn't look too filthy and sat.

"So are you having fun?" Jess asked, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Absolutely," Rory rested her head on his shoulder. "This is the best Valentine's Day Weekend I've ever had."

"Good to know," Jess smiled. "Weekend's not over yet, though."

"Are you saying it's going to get better?" Rory asked.

"There's definitely potential," he nodded.

"Well what else do you have planned, then?"

"Tomorrow night you get to wear whatever fancy dress you decided to bring."

"Oh ya? Where are we going?" she asked excitedly.

"That's a secret."

"You know, this whole secret thing is getting old," Rory frowned.

"Have I failed you yet?" Jess demanded.

"Well that coffee..." she pointed out.

He poked her in the ribs, making her jump.

"Okay, okay!" she laughed. "You've been doing pretty well for yourself!"

"So have a little faith. I will, however, tell you that we're going for dinner and then drinks."

"Where are we going for drinks?"

"Somewhere you'll like."

"Does it have books?" Rory guessed. "Because I'm kind of sensing a theme here."

"Do you not like the theme?"

"I love the theme," she assured him. "So the bar _does_ have books!"

Jess just sighed and kissed her.

"You're impossible."

"Yes I am," she grinned. "This is our stop."

"Look at you, understanding the announcer voice," Jess patronized her.

"It's like I'm a native or something," Rory shot back. "What are we doing tonight?"

"I didn't have anything planned," Jess shrugged. "We can do whatever we want to do."

"But I don't know what there is to do here," she pointed out. "This is _your_ town."

"Then I guess it'll be a surprise," Jess teased, making Rory let out an annoyed sigh. "I'm kidding! Geez, you're so tense!"

Rory just glared and walked past him to exit the carriage.

They spent the afternoon browsing record stores and reading in Washington Square Park, then decided to go back to the hotel and order room service for dinner.

Jess woke up early the next morning and decided to sneak out to get coffee before Rory woke up. As quietly as he could, he got dressed and slipped out, heading for the Starbucks around the corner.

When Rory woke up to an empty bed, she couldn't help but panic ever so slightly. Even though she had spent the last month sleeping alone at school, having Jess back made her fall into old habits quickly. The familiar catch in her throat and heavy beat of her heart had her looking around wildly, trying to find a note or indication as to where he had gone. Before she could get herself too worked up, however, Jess returned carrying two large coffees and a couple bags from the Starbucks around the corner.

"Hey! I thought you'd still be sleeping," he said in way of apology, noticing that she had a mildly panicked look on her face. "I went to get real coffee."

"You're so good to me," she smiled softly. "What else do you have there?"

"Brownies and cake pops," Jess shrugged. "I was told they went well with the coffee."

"Sweet," Rory grabbed at the bags. "So, what's on your agenda today?"

"Dinner," Jess drank his coffee. "Drinks. Presents-"

"I thought this was my present."

"This is a vacation," Jess corrected. "There's a present that goes with it."

"But I didn't get you anything," she frowned.

"I get you," Jess smirked. "That's the best present I could ask for."

"You're such a sap!" Rory snorted.

"It's all that time I've spent sitting through poetry readings," he shook his head.

"I'm sure."

"Either way, I don't need anything other than a weekend with you," Jess assured her.

"I guess I should make it worth your while then," Rory smirked.

They spent the day lounging around the hotel, reading and discussing their books until Rory decided to start getting ready for dinner.

"Our reservations aren't for hours," Jess stared at her.

"Yes, but I have to make myself pretty," she explained. "It takes a lost of work!"

"You're always pretty," Jess told her.

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Rory leaned over and kissed him. "I'm going to get ready now."

When Jess joined her, she was throwing clothes around the room angrily.

"Damn it!" she cried, chucking a bra over her shoulder and nearly hitting Jess in the eye.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, catching the seemingly offensive item- surprised by what a good projectile it actually made.

"I can't find my other earring," she cried. "I've looked everywhere."

"Maybe you just forgot it," Jess shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"I can't not worry about it! If I can't find my other earring, then I can't wear earrings at all, and then my outfit won't be complete!"

"Rory, what does it matter?" Jess asked. "I'm sure you'll look amazing, with _or_ without earrings."

"It matters!" She snapped, moving from the suitcase to her purse.

"Why?" Jess reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Hey, stop for a second."

She huffed and looked over at him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Rory, what's wrong?" He asked.

"I can't find my earring."

"Come on, Rory," he frowned. "You don't get upset over earrings."

"If I don't have my earrings I won't look put together and the night will be ruined."

"What!?" Jess fought back the urge to laugh, seeing she was obviously upset. "Rory, why would that ruin our night?"

"Because everyone will see that I'm not wearing earrings and they'll think I don't want to be there and then they'll talk," she rambled.

"Who's going to talk?" Jess asked. "It's just you and me. I don't care if you wear earrings or not."

"But-"

"Rory," he stopped her. "Nobody is going to talk about you. This is just you and me, no pressure. We don't even have to go, if you don't want to. We can go get burgers. I don't care."

She was silent for a minute, just staring at him, then her head dropped and she let out a sharp laugh, mixed with a sob.

"I'm being crazy," she said.

"A little bit," Jess agreed.

She laughed again, wiping at her face.

"I'm sorry. I was just... I don't know," she shook her head. "I've just never done something like this without the pressure of having everyone in the room watching you."

"The only person who's going to be watching you is me," Jess promised. "And I will be in complete awe of how amazing you are no matter what you're wearing. Now, are we getting burgers?"

"No," she finally smiled. "I'll finished getting dressed."

"Okay," he kissed her cheek.

He went to take and shower and get dressed while she did her make-up. By the time he came out, Rory was dressed and trying to balance herself against the wall and get her shoes on.

"Wow!" Jess stared at her. "You look..." He tried to find adequate words to describe how amazing she looked, but none of the words that came to mind seemed fitting enough.

She wore a black and white knee length dress with a skirt that flew out when she spun around- which she planned on taking every opportunity to do..

"Terrible?" Rory guessed, spinning around happily. "Nauseating? Vomitrotious?"

"Exactly," Jess smirked.

"You too," she smiled, taking in his dress shirt and jacket. "You should wear that all the time."

"I think you're going to be disappointed then," he told her. "You ready?"

"Yep." She grabbed her purse from the table and checked her hair one last time before following Jess out the door.

"So, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Jess hailed a cab and held the door open for her.

"Such a gentleman!" she gasped.

"I have my moments." He got in the cab after her and told the driver where they were going. "You really do look amazing.".

"Even without earrings?" She smiled softly.

"Even without earrings," Jess laughed.

The car pulled over a few minutes later to let them out in front of a bright looking restaurant.  
"We're getting Mexican?" Rory asked, looking up at the sign. "You found a fancy Mexican restaurant?"

"Who says you can't look nice and eat tacos?" Jess smirked.

"You know me so well," she beamed.

"I know. Come on."

Their dinner was fantastic, and Rory had to admit that there was something liberating about getting dressed up and then eating tacos, it reminded her of the night of her Coming Out, when they had stormed Luke's in search of solid food after the party.

"Moment of truth," Jess said once they were finished. "Are these better than the tacos you get in New Haven?"

"Nothing is better than Hector's," Rory shook her head. "But these were definitely a close second."

"High praise," Jess laughed. "Are you ready to go for drinks?"

"We had drinks here," Rory motioned to her empty margarita glass.

"And now we're going to get more. Come on." He got up from the table and offered her his hand.

"Are you trying to get me drunk?" Rory challenged.

"Maybe," he shrugged.

"Okay then," she nodded. "Let's go."

Jess hailed a cab and directed the driver across town to a hole in the wall on Avenue A.

"Okay, I'm just going to stay it," Rory looked around as they got out of the cab. "I think we're a little overdressed."

"Come on," Jess pulled her into a bar.

On first inspection, it looked like any old dive bar- dirty floors and rickety tables. But along the walls there were shelves upon shelves of books and a terrible movie playing against the back wall. There were pictures of famous authors scattered behind the bar and assorted decorations all over the place. It was the kind of place that Rory wished she could go every night.

"How is it," Rory asked. "That you can keep pulling places like this out of your pocket?"

"I do my research," Jess smiled. "You know, the guys and I are thinking of investing in a bar like this back in Philly."

"Really?"

"Ya," Jess nodded. "What do you think?"

"I think that would be amazing," Rory told him. "It would definitely fit with the whole Truncheon feel."

"That's what _we_ thought," Jess agreed. "We think it's the next step for our image. We can focus the store on work and publishing, and move the performances to the bar."

"What are you going to call it?"

"We haven't really talked about it yet," Jess shrugged. "Got any suggestions?"

"The Rory?"

"Interesting," Jess pretended to think about that. "I'll bring it up to the guys when I get back."

"Good. I'm going to get a drink," she got up. "What do you want?"

"I'll have a beer," Jess reached for his wallet, but she scurried off before he could get it out.

"You've paid for everything this whole weekend," she told him when she came back. "You can let me pay for a drink."

"Someone's touchy," Jess noticed.

"I'm not touchy, I'm a feminist," Rory corrected him. "I believe in the equal right to pay for things in a relationship."

Jess just smiled at her over his beer.

Once they'd had enough drinks to think the movie playing against the wall was actually good, Jess decided it was time to head back to the hotel while they still remembered where it was.

"Come on," Jess pulled her to her feet and quickly wrapped an arm around her waist.

They got in a cab and Rory immediately fell into his shoulder.

"This has been the best weekend ever," she kissed him.

"I'm glad," he smiled.

Somewhere around East 34th Street they got stuck in traffic, much to Rory's chagrin.

"Let's just walk," she turned to Jess. "I want to get back to the hotel."

"Seriously?" Jess sighed. "You're going to walk in _those_ heels?"

"I'm a champion heels walker," Rory gasped. "Come on!"

"Fine," Jess sighed and asked the cabbie to pull over.

"How far is it?" Rory asked once they were on the sidewalk.

"A couple blocks," Jess shrugged and took her hand in an attempt to keep her drunk stumble in check. "So why are you in such a hurry to get back to the hotel?"

"I just want to give you your present," Rory smirked. "Unless you want to stop and get coffee."

"Bite your tongue," Jess stopped and pulled her close, kissing her soundly.

"If you want," Rory wrinkled her nose. "But I don't think that would be very fun."

Jess laughed and kissed her once more before they started walking again.

Half a block down, Rory started complaining about her shoes.

"They were not made for walking," she explained. "These shoes were made for torture chambers and snobby society dinners where you only have to stand for a few minutes at a time."

"Did I not say we should stay in the cab?" Jess asked.

"No, you asked if I could walk in heels and I said yes. If you notice," she waved towards her feet, which were doing an acceptable job of walking in something that resembled a straight line. "I'm doing an excellent job of walking."

"Ya, you're doing great," Jess said skeptically.

"Exactly, but these shoes are not exactly helping in my efforts."

"Are you going to complain about your shoes all the way back to the hotel?" Jess asked.

"Probably," she shrugged. "Although there's always a chance I'll get distracted by something else for a few minutes."

"Alright," he stopped and stepped in front of her. "Hop on."

"Excuse me?"

"Hop on," he repeated. "I'll carry you."

"You can't carry me," Rory argued. "I'm too heavy."

"You weigh, like, 50 pounds," Jess looked at her over his shoulder. "Come on."

Rory shook her head in disbelief, but hopped on his back anyways.

"You good?" Jess checked as he walked.

"I'm good," she laughed and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

They were lying in bed in the early hours of the morning, Jess laying with his head on her stomach, looking up at her lovingly while she ran her fingers through his hair, when he brought up her present.

"So, do you want your present now?" He whispered.

"Okay," Rory smiled.

He reached over the side of the bed and grabbed a small parcel wrapped in black paper from under the bed.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he kissed her.

Rory grinned and ripped the paper off to reveal a framed piece of paper.

 _She is madness, sanity._

 _She is hell, paradise._

 _She is delightfully chaotic; a beautiful mess._

 _She is the reason I believe in magic,_

 _My reason to get up every morning._

 _The kind of girl you write books about._

 _For my soulmate, my murderer._

 _I love you, most ardently_

 _-Dodger_

"It's the dedication for my book," Jess told her. "I wanted you to see it before anyone else, since it's for you."

As she read, tears pooled in her eyes. It was one thing knowing that he loved her- and she had never doubted that- but it was something else completely to see him pour that love onto a page to broadcast to the world.

"Do you like it?" Jess asked nervously.

"Oh, Jess!" She sighed, her voice catching as she started to cry. "It's beautiful."

"It's all true," he promised. "Every word."

She didn't even have words to express how much she loved him in that moment, all she could do was kiss him as her tears poured from her eyes, and hope that he would hear all the things that she couldn't seem to put into coherent thoughts.

"Thank you," she finally whispered, a teary smile plastered on her face. "I love you Dodger."

"I love you, too."


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

"I don't want to go," Rory moaned the next morning.

She was lying in bed while Jess packed their bags, refusing to get up until she absolutely had to.

"I know, but we have to," Jess said. "I have to go to work, you have to go to school."

"Who cares about work and school!" she cried. "Let's just stay here forever."

" _You_ care about work and school," Jess informed her. "Come on."

He walked over to the bed and pulled her into a sitting position.

"No!" Rory cried. "I don't want to!"

"Rory, if you don't get up now you're going to have to take the bus home again. Do you remember how well that worked out for you last time?"

"Fine!" She grumbled, rolling out of bed and getting dressed. "Just so you know, I liked you a lot more last night."

"I'm sure I'll win your affection back," Jess snorted.

Rory tried to be up beat on the drive back to Yale, but she couldn't help being sad that the weekend was over.

"What's wrong?" Jess asked, obviously noticing that her heart wasn't in their argument over which Bronte sister was best.

"Nothing," she smiled. "I just think you're wrong. Anne was obviously the most talented."

"Rory," he gave her a look to tell her he wasn't buying it.

"I just wish the weekend could have been longer," she sighed. "The last few weeks at Yale have been awful and I miss having you around and I miss the apartment and the guys and- Ugh!" She let out a strangled scream.

"Yale will get better," Jess assured her. "Paris will come around, she always does, and you'll be back in Philly, in _our_ apartment before you know it."

"I know," she smiled sadly. "I've just been spoiled this weekend."

"Well I wasn't going to say anything," Jess teased. "But you did have an air of brattiness around you."

"Shut up," she laughed. "You know what I mean."

"Well, now, whenever you're bummed out by Paris and missing the apartment you can read your book dedication and be happy again."

"Ha! I'm going to sob every time I read that," she told him.

"I can take it back," Jess offered.

"Don't you dare!"

Rory didn't mean to cry when he went to leave that afternoon, but out of nowhere she burst into tears as he was heading for the door.

"Hey!" He rushed back to her side. "It's okay."

"I'm fine," she shook her head and pushed him away. "I'm just being crazy and petty and childish. I'm fine."

"Rory, stop." He held her tightly, trapping her arms between them. "You'll be home soon, okay? Everything is going to be okay."

"I know it is," she wiped her face. "I told you, I'm just being crazy."

"You're always crazy," Jess pointed out, brushing a tear from her cheek. "This isn't crazy. This is just what happens when you spend too much time working and your roommate won't talk to you."

"All work and no play," she sniffled.

"Apparently makes Rory a sad girl."

She laughed at the terrible joke, reaching up to take his face in her hands.

"What did I ever do to deserve someone as good as you?" She mused.

"Probably something terrible," Jess smirked. "Are you going to cry again if I try to leave?"

"No, I'll be fine."

"Really?" Jess demanded.

"Really," she kissed his cheek. "Go. I have work to do."

"Seriously?" Jess gaped at her. "We literally just talked about this. It was less than five seconds ago!"

"I promise to watch a good movie when I'm finished," she offered.

"As long as you promise," Jess shook his head and pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly.

"I love you," he smirked when he pulled away.

"Back at ya," Rory smiled. "Call me when you get home."

"I will."

She waited until he left, then hurried to the window to watch him drive away. She didn't know why she was being so emotional about his departure, she knew she was being crazy, but that didn't stop her from being upset. She could only think of one person who would understand how crazy she was being, so abandoning her paper, she dropped onto her bed and called her mom.

"Hey, Hon!" Lorelai answered on the first ring.

"Hi," Rory said sombrely.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Lorelai picked up on her tone. "What did the hoodlum do?"

"Nothing," Rory assured her. "It's not him. I'm just being crazy. I actually cried when he dropped me off, like a kid having to go to kindergarten!"

"Oh, Hon," Lorelai sympathized. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. We had the most amazing weekend, and he gave me the greatest gift in the entire world. But now I'm back at Yale, in an apartment where no one talks to me, with an insane class load on top of all the stuff for the paper, and I just miss having him around and I miss the apartment," she cried. "And on top of all that I have that panel next week, for the paper. I'm just so stressed and having him around just makes everything so much easier!"

"I know," Lorelai sighed. "Is there anything I can do? Do you need a de-stress package?"

"No," Rory laughed. "I just needed to get all this off my chest."

"Well I'm always good for that," Lorelai assured her. "Why don't I come down for lunch this week? It'll give you a chance to actually talk to someone, instead of just getting the death glare from Paris."

"That would be great," Rory perked up. "Wednesday?"

"Wednesday," Lorelai agreed. "You can tell me all about your weekend- well, not _all_ about it, but..."

"Why do you always have to be gross?" Rory asked. "What makes you think I'm going to spill all the juicy intimate details of my Valentine's Weekend?"

"We have a very open relationship, Rory," her mother explained. "I just want to make sure we keep _some_ boundaries."

"I can guarantee that you are the only person in this relationship who has ever come close to crossing the over share boundaries. I'm the mature one, remember?"

"Right!" Lorelai agreed. "I forgot because of that whole crying like a kindergartener thing earlier."

"Ugh!" Rory gasped. "That's just low. I don't think I want to talk to you anymore."

"So I'll see you Wednesday?"

"Wednesday," Rory agreed.

"Bye, Hon!"

"Bye." Rory hung up and went back to her paper, feeling much better about her current situation. At least she would get some real human contact at some point during the week, instead of just waiting for Paris to forgive her.

Even with Lorelai's Wednesday visit the next couple weeks were stressful and full of nothing but schoolwork, paper stuff and preparing for her Journalism panel. On top of which, Paris had stopped sleeping and was making a concerted effort to make sure no one else did, be it by learning how to play the trumpet or by watching horror movies at three in the morning. The silver lining was that her Dad had decided to come to her panel, something he had very rarely done.

The night before the panel, Rory slept with earplugs in the hopes of getting enough sleep, but it didn't do her much good. She was pretty sure Paris had been practising against her door all night.

She spent the morning guzzling coffee in an attempt to make up for the sleep she had lost, hoping that she wouldn't be too jittery for the panel.

Thankfully, she had been training for this moment her entire life and the caffeine did nothing but make her even more brilliant than usual- a fact that her parents were all too happy to point out when she finished.

She was at the post-panel mixer when Jess called.

"Hey!" She beamed as she answered the phone. "Just give me a minute to find somewhere quiet."

She slipped past everyone into the hallway, then turned back to her phone.

"Okay, hi!"

"Hey, how was your panel?" Jess asked.

"It was great! I was on fire! I kicked Pompous Princeton Guy's ass and I got the whole audience laughing and my Dad was there and he saw me up there and he looked so proud, and that was really awesome because he never comes to school stuff. The last time he came to see me do any sort of public speaking was when I was in Chilton and he brought that stupid witch of a step-mother and she was all over me and it was just creepy."

"Why are you talking so fast?" Jess asked, trying to keep up with her.

"I always talk fast," Rory said. "I'm a fast talker. Life's short, talk fast- it's the Gilmore motto! It's what I was raised on. Keep up!"

"Rory," Jess interrupted her, his tone soft and even. "How much coffee have you had today?"

"A lot!" she admitted. "I started off with three pots while I was getting ready, and then there was coffee at the panel and now there's coffee here at the mixer and I've been here for a really long time and everyone is really boring, so I've been drinking A LOT of coffee. But it's okay, because coffee is amazing and I'm a Gilmore, we're 90% coffee anyways."

"Okay, Rory, you really need to stop drinking coffee now."

"I can't stop drinking coffee," Rory protested. "You stop drinking coffee, you die!"

"Not really," Jess frowned. "Why the three pots this morning?"

"Paris!" Rory snapped. "I swear she was playing her stupid trumpet right outside my door last night. Did I tell you that she doesn't sleep anymore- ever! I keep thinking she's going to just fall over, but she never does. I'm really starting to think my mom has been right all these years and she's really a cyborg. Or maybe an alien."

"Rory," Jess cut her off. "Put the coffee down and go back to your apartment."

"Fine," Rory huffed.

"Are you leaving?" Jess asked.

"I'm walking to the door right now," Rory assured him. "Are you happy?"

"Sure. Crap, I have to go. Call me later?"

"If I don't crash first," Rory promised. "Bye."

She had just pulled up outside the apartment when Doyle came storming out, a duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Hey, Doyle, what are you doing?" Rory stopped him.

"She kicked me out!" He cried. "Started throwing all my stuff in a bag and shoved it out the door, then threatened to push me out the window if I didn't leave too! She's completely lost it!"

"What happened?" Rory asked.

"I told her you were thinking about making her campus safety piece a series, but I told you not to and then I tried to take her glue gun out of her hands and all hell broke loose! So I'm done!" he cried. "I'm done trying to have a relationship with a woman who has completely lost her mind!"

"Doyle!" Rory called after him as he hurried down the street.

"Done!" He screamed back.

"Crap," Rory sighed, looking up to their apartment windows. She seriously debated getting back in her car and heading for Philly just to avoid the wrath of Paris, but decided against it. As terrible as she had been to her over the last few months, Paris was still one of Rory's closest friends and she needed her- whether she knew it or not. So she braced herself for the hurricane she was about to step into and walked inside.

She knocked on the door, knowing the chain would be on and heard Paris yelling at people to get bowls out, which she thought was strange.

"Oh," Paris' face fell when she saw Rory. "I thought you were Hing Yi's."

"Sorry," Rory shrugged. "Can you let me in?"

The door closed and Rory heard her unlocking the chain before throwing it open again.

"Where is everyone?" Rory asked, looking around the empty apartment.

"I ordered food for ten and didn't want the delivery guy to judge me," Paris sighed.

These were the first words she had spoken to Rory outside of the paper in two months and she almost wanted to record them to remember. She hadn't realized how much she really missed Paris.

"Paris, can we please talk?" Rory begged, sitting on the couch beside her.

"Fine."

"I ran into Doyle downstairs," Rory told her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"We broke up," Paris snapped. "That's it. There's nothing to talk about."

"He looked pretty upset-"

"I don't care!"

"Okay," Rory nodded quickly. "I just thought, since he was so upset, you might be too and you might need a friend."

Paris's angry glare softened to a look of surprise and then sadness.

"You're a really good friend," she suddenly pulled Rory into a hug. "I've been terrible to you for the last month, I almost kicked you out! And you're still here when I need you. No one else can stand me, but you're still here."

"That's what best friends are for," Rory shrugged. "You can't get rid of me that easy."

Paris hugged her again.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for how terribly I've been treating you."

"It's okay," Rory shook her head. "You were upset. But I just need you to know that I didn't lobby for the job. I would never do that to you."

"I know," Paris assured her. "Are you hungry? I've got food coming."

"Starving," Rory smiled. "I'll get some plates."

They were halfway through their food, discussing plans to paint the apartment and get a treadmill when the knocking started.

"Did we actually order that pizza?" Paris asked.

"I thought we just discussed it," Rory frowned.

"Who is it!?" Paris yelled.

"It's Logan!"

"What is _he_ doing here?" Paris asked.

"I have no idea," Rory shook her head. "But I definitely don't want to talk to him."

"I've got this," Paris smiled at her friend, getting up and opening the door without removing the chain. "Well, well, if it isn't New Haven's favourite Whore hound."

"Is Rory here?" Logan asked, obviously drunk.

"Maybe. What's it to you?"

"I need to talk to her. Just let me in!"

"She doesn't want to talk to you," Paris told him, removing the chain and pulling the door open some more. "But you can talk to me. What do you want to talk about?"

"Rory," Logan called over her shoulder. "I just need five minutes."

"You're not getting five seconds," Paris assured him. "But while you're here, there are a few things I've always wanted to say to you, but out of respect for Rory I've kept silent. But here's my chance."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Paris."

"I know you and Rory are broken up," Paris told him. "And have been for quite some time, which is why I'm wondering what the hell you're doing here."

"We had a fight," Logan argued. "Fighting isn't breaking up! Why am I even arguing with you? I don't want you back!"

He tried to push past Paris, but she held her ground.

"You know what, Huntzberger? You are nothing but a two-bit spoiled waste of a trust fund. You offer nothing to the world and if you disappeared tomorrow, the only person that would miss you is your Porsche dealer."

"You want to chime in here?" Logan asked Rory.

"No, I think Paris has got it covered," she smiled.

"I just need sixty seconds!" Logan finally got past Paris and made a run for the couch.

"Hey!" she chased after him. "No one invited you in here! Get out right now before I go Bonaduce on your ass!"

"I'm not going away," Logan spat at her. "We're going to talk."

"Logan, we've been broken up for months," Rory told him. "There is _nothing_ for us to talk about. Now either you get out, or I'm calling the police."

Before either of them could take action, the door flew open to reveal Doyle.

"What the hell is this door doing unlocked?!" He demanded.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Paris turned on him. "I kicked you out."

"Yes you did," Doyle agreed. "And I left. And I went and had a few drinks and thought about why you kicked me out and I decided that you're wrong."

"I am not!" Paris crossed her arms.

"We're meant to be together Paris," Doyle ignored her. "You know it, I know it, your life coach even knows it!"

"Terrence has been wrong before," Paris argued.

"Can we go in the other room?" Logan begged. "I can't hear myself think."

"Thinking requires brain cells," Paris shot back at him. "Get out!"

"Rory!" Logan went to grab her arm, but she took a step back.

"Don't touch me!" She cried. "I swear, Logan, if you don't leave, I'll call the cops. I don't want you here!"

"Rory, I need you!" He pleaded. "I'm lost without you! Nothing seems right."

"It can't be that bad if it took you five months to figure it out," Rory shot back. "There is nothing left between us, now get out!"

"Rory I love you!"

He reached for her again, but Paris had turned around to help Rory and caught his arm, wrenching it behind his back.

"You heard her," she snarled. "Time to go!"

She moved him towards the door, holding his arm in a painful grip while he struggled to get away from her.

"Get lost, and don't come back!" Paris ordered, then tossed him through the door and slammed it shut, quickly locking it so he couldn't get back in.

"You next," she turned to Doyle.

"Paris, listen to me," he stood his ground. "I am the best thing that ever happened to you."

"If that's true then I guess it's all uphill from here," Paris said snarkily.

"You know, I didn't have to come crawling back here begging you to talk to me," Doyle snapped. "I have options! I could have hooked up with a really hot chick tonight."

"I don't see how that's helping your case, Doyle," Rory piped up from the couch. "At all."

"You know what, I've got this," Paris turned to her. "Can you just give us a minute?"

"Your call," Rory shrugged and took her plate into her room.

She figured she would call Jess back while they hashed it out, and she had a good feeling Doyle was going to win, despite the current situation.

"Hey, I thought the caffeine had finally run it's course," Jess said when he answered the phone.

"Not yet, but it's getting close. Paris and I made up."

"That's great," Jess congratulated her. "What made her change her mind?"

"She broke up with Doyle and realized that I was still a good friend because I came home to see if she was okay," Rory explained. "We talked and now it's all good."

"I'm glad, I know this whole Paris thing was really stressing you out."

"Yeah, it was," Rory agreed. "But there's something else I have to tell you."

"What?" Jess asked, concerned by her tone.

"Logan came by. He was drunk and he wouldn't go away. Paris actually, physically threw him out," she admitted.

"Are you okay?" Jess demanded. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, no," she quickly reassured him. "I'm fine. He didn't touch me- Paris was all over him as soon as he got within a few feet. It just kind of shook me. He was really mad."

Talking to Jess about the situation, she realized that she really had been scared. She knew what Logan could be like when he was mad, and even though he had never raised a hand to her, she didn't doubt that it was a possibility- especially when he was drunk.

"Rory, be honest with me," Jess told her. "Did he threaten you, or hurt you?"

"No," she said firmly. "Jess I swear on Howl."

She could almost hear the smile on his face.

"Well if you swear on Howl," he chuckled. "Who knew Paris's weird hobbies would finally come in handy. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. It just freaked me out a little. I mean, I thought I was past having to deal with Logan."

"So did I," Jess grumbled. "If he shows up again, I want you to call me right away."

"If he shows up again I told him I would call the police," Rory assured him. "But I don't think he will, seeing as Paris just about dislocated his shoulder when she was throwing him out."

"Where is Paris, anyways?" Jess asked. "I can hear her screaming in the background."

"In the living room, fighting with Doyle."

"I thought they broke up."

"They did," Rory agreed. "And then she kicked him out, and now he's back refusing to break up and they're having a screaming match."

"And you're not out there helping her?" Jess was shocked.

"They're going to make up," Rory assured him. "And when that happens I don't want to be anywhere near them, because I will be scarred for life. So now I'm stuck in my room for the rest of the night."

"Ahh," Jess nodded. "Well, at least you'll finally be able to sleep again."

"I know," she sighed happily. "I've forgotten what it feels like not to be woken up at three in the morning."

"I bet."

On the other end of the phone, he could hear her yawning as they spoke.

"You sound tired," he said. "Go to sleep."

"I will," she promised. "I just wanted to talk to you first. Tell me what's going on at Truncheon, I feel so out of the loop."

As he filled her in, she got changed and crawled into bed, letting his voice lull her to sleep.

"Rory?" He asked softly when he heard her breathing even out.

"Hmm?" She hummed in her sleep.

"I love you," he laughed softly. "Talk to you tomorrow."

He hung up the phone, shaking his head at her stubbornness. He was just happy she had agreed to go back to Stars Hollow for a few days and rest, if she didn't she was going to work herself to a nervous breakdown.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

The next morning Rory snuck past Paris and Doyle, who were asleep on the living room floor, and made a run for her car. She planned to get to Stars Hollow before anyone from the paper could call and beg her to come in. The only work she was doing this weekend was going to be via email- she needed a break.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it to the highway in time and was forced to make a detour to the newsroom. Thankfully it only took her a couple hours to get everything sorted out and ready to go to print and she was in Stars Hollow by lunch.

"Rory!" Lane screamed, running out of Luke's to meet her. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Woah!" Rory laughed as she pulled her into a hug. "These small towns are mighty friendly."

"I have the biggest news!" Lane gushed, then displayed a large ring she was wearing.

"You've become a Shriner?" Rory guessed.

"I'm engaged."

"Oh my God!" Rory screamed, hugging and jumping up and down with her best friend. "I'm so happy for you!"

They ran inside a few seconds later, both still gushing and squealing.

"Did you hear!?" Rory asked her mother.

"Hear what?"

"Show her, show her!" She swatted her best friend, who displayed her hand again.

"You won the Superbowl?" Lorelai guessed.

"I'm engaged!"

"No way!" Lorelai cried. "Let me see the ring again!"

"It's all Zach could afford right now," Lane shrugged. "But I actually think it's kind of rock and roll."

"The rocking and the rollingest!" Lorelai assured her. "When did this happen?"

"Last night," Lane beamed. "I would have told you earlier, but I thought you already knew."

"Why would I know?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, Luke was standing right there when it happened," she shrugged.

"Luke," his fiancee turned to him. "Did you forget to tell me?"

"No," he floundered. "I just thought Lane would want to tell you herself."

"Luke," Lorelai gave him her coveted 'Mom' look.

"Alright, fine!" He admitted. "I remember being engaged to you, isn't that enough?"

Lorelai just shook her head at him.

Before their conversation could continue, Lane had to go back to serving, leaving Rory and Lorelai alone.

"That's so exciting!" She beamed, dropping onto a stool.

"I know," Lorelai agreed. "Hey, I thought you were coming earlier?"

"I was, but I had to stop by the paper," she explained. "Ugh! I am _so_ hungry. Do you think Luke will make us s'mores?"

"Hey, for you, anything," Lorelai beamed. "Oh, Luke!"

Before they could even ask, he put a plate of fries in front of them.

"Start on these, I'm making you s'mores."

"He's the most beautiful man in the world," Rory swooned.

"Yeah," her mom agreed. "You should see him carry a spider outside. So, what are your plans for the weekend?"

"Well, I'll probably have to do some more work for the paper, but other than that I'm all yours. Although I'll probably be spending some planning time with Lane now."

"Of course," Lorelai agreed. "That's what happens when you're the BFOTB."

"The what?" Rory frowned.

"Best Friend of the Bride," Lorelai explained. "It's what Sookie told everyone she was when we were planning my wedding."

"Ahh," Rory nodded. "I think I'll just leave that title for Sookie."

"Probably for the best," Lorelai agreed. "Well, do you want to go see a movie this afternoon? I can sneak out of work early and we can have an early dinner."

"Absolutely," Rory smiled.

"S'mores!" Luke announced, putting a plate in front of them.

"Thanks Luke!" Rory beamed, then noticed his hand. "Why are you bleeding?"

"Because he's stupid," Lorelai answered for him.

"I'm trying to fix my duffel bag," Luke explained.

"Why?" Rory frowned.

"I'm chaperoning a school trip for April, so I need luggage."

"Why don't you just buy new luggage?" Rory asked. "That seems like a lost cause."

Lorelai waved frantically at her daughter, indicating to Luke that she was making a good point.

"Because I don't need new luggage, I just need to fix this," he snapped.

"Okay," Rory shrugged. "I hope you enjoy losing all the nerve endings in your fingers then."

"Just eat your s'mores," Luke grumbled, ignoring Lorelai's vicious nods of approval.

"I've got to get back to the Inn," Lorelai announced once the s'mores were done. "You gonna come hang out for a bit before the movie?"

"Sure," Rory nodded. "I can do my work there."

"Great!"

Rory spent about an hour working on stuff for the paper, talking down her temperamental journalists and emailing final edits back to their intended writers. She had just finished having a spat with Michel over stealing post-it notes when Lorelai announced she was ready to go.

"Pick a movie," she handed Rory the paper as her phone started to ring. "Hello?"

"What's going on?" Rory asked, noticing the look of confusion on her mother's face.

"Apparently there's a fight to the death between Richard, Emily and a super computer."

"Ooh! I want to hear!"

The sat down in the lobby and Lorelai put the call on speaker phone so they could both listen. Too distracted by the entertaining argument going on, she made the mistake of inviting her parents to swing by, adding that Rory was in town.

Rory glared at her mother, smacking her in the head as Richard and Emily excitedly announced that they would be there in about an hour.

"What did you do that for?" Rory demanded, once they had hung up.

"It just came out," Lorelai cried. "I didn't think they'd actually take me up on the offer!"

"Stupid," Rory chastised her. "Well, come on. We have to go clean the house now."

"Damn it!" Lorelai sulked. "Sometimes I really wish my mouth and my brain would sort out their issues."

"We all wish that," Rory assured her.

"Okay, we have to get rid of anything that makes this place feel homey," Lorelai announced once they were home. "Anything that could make them comfortable or start a conversation."

"Got it," Rory nodded. "I'm assuming we're including all the things they would disapprove of in the list of things to hide?"

"Of course."

"Alright, let's get to work."

"You start, I'm going to call Sookie. They're going to expect us to feed them."

"Got it," Rory nodded.

When Richard and Emily arrived an hour later the house was as inhospitable as possible, that didn't stop them from making themselves comfortable for the following three hours, though. It was difficult explaining why most of their possessions were in the bath tub, but beyond that the afternoon was relatively civil. When the time finally came for Richard and Emily to leave, however, both Lorelai and Rory were incredibly grateful.

"God!" Lorelai dropped onto the couch once they were out of the driveway. "Your grandparents are exhausting."

"Not as exhausting as _your_ parents," Rory shot back.

"Alright, movie to cleanse our pallets?"

"Sounds like a plan," Rory grabbed the paper and started scanning movie times. "I say we pack up some of the food that's left, swing by the Soda Shoppe for ice cream and catch the last half of Nanny McPhee, first half of Final Destination 3."

"You're so smart," Lorelai approved. "Let's motor."

It turned out that Rory's seemingly genius didn't pan out, as Lorelai spent the entirety of Final Destination complaining- and continued to do so for the rest of the weekend, much to everyone's annoyance.

"It doesn't even make sense!" She argued Sunday afternoon.

"I know," Rory agreed, tired of arguing the non-existent plot line.

"Death is the villain! _Death_!"

"I know."

"They didn't even put any thought into it!"

"Uh-huh," Rory nodded and led her mother into Luke's. "Why don't we find something to put in your mouth?"

"Hey!" Lorelai snapped at her daughter. "It's not like I'm being crazy! It's a stupid idea!"

"And apparently we will be discussing it for the rest of our lives," Rory sighed. "Hey, look! It's Luke."

"Who were you expecting?" Luke demanded.

"Well I've always hoped for George Clooney," Lorelai admitted. "But you're a good alternative."

"Glad to hear it. What do you want?"

"Someone's crabby," Lorelai frowned. "All those needle injuries getting to you?"

"No, I just got off the phone with my Cheese guy," Luke explained.

"Ahh," Lorelai nodded. "He forget which one has holes again?"

"Yep. Burgers?"

"And chili fries," Rory nodded.

"And milkshakes," Lorelai added.

"And coffee while we wait for the milkshakes."

"Good thinking," Lorelai nodded to her daughter.

"You're going to die before you turn fifty," Luke grumbled.

"At least we'll still look young and beautiful," Lorelai shrugged. "Hey, how about pie?"

"While we wait for the burgers?" Rory assumed.

"Exactly."

Luke decided the argument that would ensue if he denied them pie wasn't worth it, so he served them each a slice of cherry and made a mental note to put extra lettuce on their burgers.

"So Luke," Rory turned to him as he poured their coffee. "Where's this trip you're chaperoning to?"

"Philadelphia," he told her. "And a couple places between here and there, I guess. Anna hasn't sent me the specifics yet."

"Really? Are you going to come to the Open House next weekend?"

"I was gonna try," he nodded. "Jess sent me the invite a while back."

"I know he'd really like it if you came," Rory encouraged.

"Why didn't I get an invite?" Lorelai asked, looking a little hurt. "I thought James Dean and I were friends."

"We were including you in Luke's invite," Rory told her. "Of course you're invited."

"Okay," her mother smiled brightly.

"So are you gonna come?"

"Probably not," Lorelai shrugged. "I saw the place when I picked you up for Atlantic City. You'll probably clean it up for the weekend, make it look nice and I'll know that it's all a lie and it's usually a total mess."

Rory couldn't fault that logic, there was definitely going to be a big difference between regular Truncheon and Open House Truncheon- most notably their desks, which were always completely covered in books and manuscripts and notepads, were getting shoved into the back room where no one could see them.

"Well, either way, it would be really cool if you came," Rory turned back to Luke. "I think you'd really like it."

"Really?" Lorelai looked over at her daughter. "Because I consider myself a relatively cultured person and I was completely lost in that place. What do you think Mountain Man is gonna do with all the crap you guys have there."

"That _crap_ is usually referred to as art," Rory pointed out. "And I'm not saying he's going to like that, I'm saying he'll like seeing what Jess does."

"What exactly is that, anyways?" Luke asked. "He's always pretty vague about it."

"Well, right now he's mostly working on his new book while the rest of us pick up the slack," Rory admitted. "But usually he does a lot of editing."

"So boring crap," Lorelai summed up.

"It's not boring," Rory shook her head. "We read books for a living, it's fun."

"That's because you're both nerds," her mother wrinkled her nose. "To the rest of us, that sounds like the most boring thing ever."

Rory looked to Luke for support, but he seemed to agree with her mother.

"I'm sure you guys like it," he shrugged. "But I'm with her."

Rory just shook her head at the both of them in disgust and turned back to her pie.

"We're sorry!" Lorelai patted her daughter's arm. "It's not boring. It's just over our heads."

Rory just sniffed at them, not looking away from her plate.

"We didn't mean to make you feel bad," Lorelai tried. "I'm sure you love what you do there."

"I do," she nodded. "We both do."

"Well then that's all that matters." Rory decided to ignore the fact that her mother was using the same voice she used to use when Rory would announce that she wanted to be a dancer or a rock star.

"Would it make you feel better if I at least _tried_ to get away from the inn for the day to come?"

"Not if you're going to make fun of us all day," Rory shook her head.

"I promise not to mock you until after," Lorelai offered.

"Fine," she conceded and looked at her watch. "I promised Lane I'd hang out with her for a bit before I headed back to school. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye Sweets," Lorelai hugged her daughter quickly.

"Bye, Luke!" Rory called. "See you on the weekend!"


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

Rory spent her entire week fielding frantic calls from Matt and Chris (though Chris would never admit that he was panicking) over everything from double checking the catering orders, to how to keep Matt's poet from premiering new material. If it wasn't so adorable she might have threatened to beat them to death when she got back that weekend. As it was, she had decided to skip her Friday classes so she could get to Philly early and make sure everything was in order for Saturday.

"Let's all keep in mind that I am leaving Friday morning and not coming back until Monday, so I need to be sure that the paper is going to go out," Rory announced to the newsroom on Wednesday night. "All problems need to be dealt with before I leave because I will not be answering my phone this weekend."

She stopped wandering when she noticed a large jar sitting on Paris's desk.

"Paris, what is this?" She asked, examining the contents to find that it was full of flies.

"I took all the boring answers out of my interview with Professor Whittington and wound up with a lovely 16-word piece, so now I'm putting all the boring crap back in. I just need ten minutes to get the final copy to editing," Paris explained, not looking up from her computer.

"I meant with the jar of disgusting insects," Rory clarified.

"Oh, they're fruit flies. I'm finishing up my paper on population genetics and have to monitor how often Drosophila Melanogaster do the nasty."

"Gross!" Rory put the jar down gingerly.

"Complain to God, not to me," Paris shrugged.

"Did you have to bring them into the newsroom?" Rory frowned.

"Well I can't leave them at home. They could escape and infest the apartment."

"And you'd rather they escaped and infested the newsroom?"

"Well wouldn't you?" Paris challenged. "And besides, maybe if they get out people will start paying attention to the 'No Food in the Newsroom' rule."

"We don't have that rule."

"Well we should. I just need nine minutes," she went back to typing.

"Paris-"

"Eight and a half!"

"Fine," Rory huffed. "Just hurry up."

"Hey, Chief!" Logan entered the room. "You got a minute?"

"Sure," Rory shrugged and sat down at her desk. She hadn't exactly been thrilled when Logan continued working on the paper, but she had been able to keep a healthy distance since he rarely showed up or took assignments.

"I'm a little confused about something," he said, obviously annoyed. "I was working on the piece about textbook prices, I put a lot of work into it, and I just checked the server and somebody already wrote the piece."

"I know," Rory nodded.

"Did we get our wires crossed?" Logan asked.

"Nope."

"Who wrote it?"

"I did. I didn't think you were going to meet the deadline," she explained.

"Based on what?" Logan demanded.

"Based on past performance. It was an important piece and I'm not here this weekend, so I needed to make sure it was done."

"Past performance is no indication of future performance."

"Wise men call that a sucker's maxim," Rory shrugged. "Look, you'll get your by-line if that's what this is about."

"You know that's not what this is about," he snapped.

"Look, I'm sorry. It's as you said, we got our wires crossed. It happens, let's just move on," she tried to get him to drop it. The last thing she needed was for him to make a scene in the middle of the newsroom while she was trying to get everything ready for the next two articles.

"Fine," he seethed. "We'll move on."

He turned and started to walk away, but stopped when he saw Paris's desk.

"What the hell is this?" He picked up the jar of flies.

"Keep walking, Whitey," Paris snarled.

"You're letting fruit flies in the newsroom?"

"It's not hurting anyone," Rory crossed her arms.

"It's disgusting!"

"I just need five more minutes!" Paris informed them.

"It's fine," Rory assured her, then turned to Logan. "They're not hurting anyone and Paris is working on an interview that I need, so I would appreciate it if you would stop distracting her."

"Whatever," Logan shook his head. "Sorry I bothered you, Paris."

He turned and stormed out of the room, muttering under his breath and shooting everyone dirty looks.

Aside from Logan's dramatic flare, the rest of the evening went off without a hitch, the paper getting out on time and Friday's edition well on the way. When Rory got back to the fruit fly free apartment, she was confident that the paper would do fine without her that weekend. She had just sat down in front of the TV when her mom called.

"Hellooo?"

"Hey, Kid! Guess what!?"

"You're finally going to run off and join the Bangles?"

"No, I'm still waiting for another reunion," Lorelai sighed. "I've been tasked with altering Lane's wedding dress."

"That's exciting!" Rory gushed. "How does it look?"

"It's going to need a lot of alterations," Lorelai admitted. "It was Mrs. Kim's."

"Oh."

"It has pants."

"Oh, God!" Rory cringed.

"Yeah. Needless to say I have my work cut out for me."

"Well if anyone can do it, you can," Rory assured her. "Other than that, what's going on."

"The Gilmores are moving in."

"Excuse me?"

"Kirk was at the Inn today," Lorelai sighed. "He's decided to become a realtor and, long story short, my parents are looking for a house in Stars Hollow."

"Okay, we really need to talk about priorities," Rory huffed. "Grandma and Grandpa can _not_ move to Star's Hollow!"

"Believe me, I know!" Lorelai agreed. "I moved thirty miles away from them for a reason. Whenever I get the urge to kill my mother, I have to drive thirty miles and there's always something that stops me between here and there. I get hungry, or I cool off or I get distracted by a mall. That thirty miles is my mother's best friend. Take that buffer away and you've got Nancy Grace camped out on Miss Patty's front lawn for a month!"

"Maybe Kirk was wrong," Rory said hopefully. "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time. Why would they want to live in Star's Hollow?"

"I don't know, maybe they think because Luke and I are getting married we're going to be having kids and they want to be close for that- really close. In the room, close."

"God!" Rory cringed. "This sucks!"

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed. "Tell me something happy."

"Paris finished her paper on population genetics this afternoon, so the apartment isn't under the imminent threat of a fruit fly infestation anymore."

"Not exactly what I was hoping for, but I'll take it. When are you heading back to Philly?"

"Friday morning. The guys are all freaking out and if I don't get back soon they're going to kill each other before they even get a chance to show off their accomplishments."

"How do they get by without you?"

"They call a lot," Rory shrugged. "And email... and text... and I think there might have been a carrier pigeon at one point, but I'm not completely sure."

"Isn't it nice to be wanted."

"I wouldn't mind being a little less popular," she admitted.

"Well I'm sure if you told Jess he would get them to lay off," Lorelai pointed out. "I mean, they got this far without you, I'm sure they would be fine."

"It's okay. They'll calm down once this Open House is over, that's really all they need me for."

"Okay," Lorelai didn't sound convinced, but she didn't argue. She figured that Rory was smart enough to tell them when things got too heavy, she had learned her lesson on that one.

"So, have you got your bridesmaid dress yet?"

"No, Lane and I are going to go shopping next week sometime."

"Cutting it pretty close," Lorelai pointed out. "The wedding is only two weeks away."

"Yeah, but it's not going to be some big elaborate thing," Rory explained. "We're not going anywhere that requires fittings and alterations."

"I can always alter stuff if you need it."

"Exactly. We've got plenty of time. I'm more worried about planning the bachelorette party."

"Don't you worry your pretty little head," Lorelai said excitedly. "I'm all over it."

"Really?" Rory asked, trying not to sound nervous.

"Really. It's going to be the party to end all parties."

"Just remember we can't get arrested. I'm on probation and Lane can't miss her wedding."

"Ye of little faith," Lorelai tutted her. "Have I ever failed in the party department?"

"No, I'm just remembering the arrested clown."

"That was a fluke!" Her mother cried. "And it hasn't happened since."

"And the time we ended up in Doose's in the middle of the night."

"Listen you ungrateful spawn!" Lorelai reprimanded. "I throw great parties, and don't you forget it!"

"Fine," Rory relented. "I will leave the party planning to you, Master Kenobi."

"Much appreciated."

Rory's phone beeped, indicating that someone else was calling her.

"Mom, I've got to go. Someone else is calling."

"Alright, I'll let you go talk to your boyfriend. Just remember that you kiss your mother with that mouth."

"God, Mom!" Rory cringed. "Don't be gross! I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye!"

Rory quickly switched calls, shaking her head at her mother's lack of censoring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Jess said. "We have a problem."

"Hi, Babe!" Rory said sarcastically. "I've missed you to!"

"You know I miss you," she could hear him glaring. "But we have a problem."

"Alright, let me have it."

Rory gave up on the possibility of watching TV and headed back to her room.

"Someone from the Weekly is coming on Saturday."

"Okay," Rory didn't see the problem.

"Rory, the _Weekly_!"

"I heard you the first time. What's the problem?"

"We're getting press! Like, real press, not some underground magazine that nobody is going to read, but a widely read mainstream newspaper. We have never gotten mainstream press before!" Jess cried.

"So this is a good thing," Rory pointed out. "Press is good."

"What if she hates us?"

"You're freaking out," Rory realized, slightly amused. "I don't think I've ever heard you freak out before. This is like that time you brought all that food over to my house and said it was from Luke. I can actually hear you squirming right now."

"Could you mock me later?" Jess snapped. "This is a big deal!"

"Jess, calm down," she laughed. "Press is good, any press. Even if she writes something terrible about you, it's still press."

"Why would you put that in the universe?!" A voice called.

"Who was that?" Rory asked.

"Matt, he's standing behind me listening."

"Okay, you both need to calm down," Rory ordered. "It's going to be fine. It's not like the current clientele bases their opinion of you off the mainstream media. Whatever they write, you're not going to be getting any less popular. You're just going to make yourselves crazy if you worry about it."

"I guess," Jess sighed.

"I know. It's all going to be fine. I promise."

"Okay, as long as you promise," Jess conceded sarcastically. "How was your day?"

"Logan actually showed up to the paper," she complained.

"Did he bother you? Do I need to raise my army?"

"No," Rory snorted. "But that might be entertaining. He was pissed because I took his assignment and wrote it myself. I don't think he's going to be around much the next few months."

"You can only hope. Other than that, how was your day?"

"Fine, I just got off the phone with my mom. She says 'hello' by the way."

"Is she coming with Luke this weekend?"

"No, Luke is on that field trip with April," Rory reminded him. "But she said she might drive up if she can get away from the Inn."

"Cool."

"How was your day, other than the _Weekly_ freak out?"

"Same old. We had a meeting with the owner of that bar we're looking at."

"Really?" Rory asked, surprised. They had talked about the bar for a while, but she hadn't realized how dedicated to the idea they really were. "What did he say?"

"He gave us a general idea on a price, we're going to talk it over when you get here."

"Why are you waiting for me?"

"Because you work here too, you're invested in the company. It's your decision too," Jess explained.

"But I just work there," Rory pointed out. "I'm not an owner like you guys."

"We just want to include you," Jess huffed.

"Okay," she relented. "If you want."

"God, you're a piece of work, you know that?" Jess joked.

"You're not exactly a cake walk," Rory snorted.

"So when are you coming home?" Jess asked.

"Say that again," Rory sighed, loving the sound of the word.

"When are you coming home?" Jess smiled.

"Friday morning. I've got the paper pretty much ready to go to print already, I just need to finalize some things and then I'll be on my way bright and early."

"Alright, I'll keep a weather eye on the horizon."

"You do that," Rory laughed. "So tell me about this bar."

She laid back on her bed and listened to him describe the place until she fell asleep. This had become a norm for them, Jess talking to her until she fell asleep at night. It wasn't that she purposefully did it, it was just that when he called she would realize how tired she was and finally give herself a chance to catch her breath. The sound of his voice made her feel safe and happy and every night, before she knew it, she was falling asleep as he told her about his day. Jess didn't mind, though, it was a nice way to end his night. It almost made him feel like she was still there in their bed, instead of miles away in a crappy apartment in New Haven.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

The next day, by some sort of miracle, the stars aligned for Rory and she got all the paper stuff she had to do finished hours before the print deadline, letting her leave for Philadelphia early.

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked when she walked into the store around dinner.

"Nice to see you too," Rory frowned at him.

"I just didn't think you were getting back until tomorrow," Chris explained. "I'm always happy to see you. You're the only sane person here."

"Ha!" Jess scoffed, emerging from the back room. "What are you doing here already?"

He pulled Rory into a kiss.

"Get a room!" Chris threw a crumpled up piece of paper at them.

"Okay," Jess grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the stairs.

"Hey, wait! I wanted to talk to her!" Chris called after them, instantly regretting his suggestion.

"Too bad!" Jess called over his shoulder.

"I'll be back," Rory laughed.

"So seriously, what are you doing here?" Jess asked once they were in the apartment.

"I got everything finished early and I didn't want to spend another night without you," Rory shrugged.

"The feeling is mutual," Jess assured her, pulling her into another kiss.

"I can't catch my breath," Rory gasped when they finally separated.

"I think we've had this conversation before," Jess pointed out, kissing her neck.

"Hold on," Rory laughed and pushed him away.

"Rory," Jess slumped against her. "I haven't seen you in weeks, let me kiss you!"

"But I want to make sure everything is okay with the Open House."

"You can check tomorrow," Jess told her. "Everything is fine."

"But-" Jess cut her off with another kiss.

"No buts."

"But I have things to do!"

"I'll make it worth your while," Jess promised, pulling her back towards their bedroom.

"I'm hungry."

"Me too," Jess countered, wagging his eyebrows suggestively and making Rory snort with laughter.

"I left my cellphone in my car," she said feebly. "What if it gets stolen?"

"I'll reimburse you." He pulled her into their bedroom and kicked the door shut, silencing any remaining arguments she could have come up with by pushing her against it.

"Oh my God!" Rory gasped later that night.

Jess let out a breathy laugh and rolled over to look at her.

"That was..." she tried to find the right words, but was at a loss.

"Yeah," Jess agreed. "That whole 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' shit might actually hold some leverage."

"Definitely," Rory laughed, rolling out of bed.

"Where are you going?" Jess reached out to stop her.

"I'll be right back," she promised. "I need water."

"Fine!" He let go of her and fell back against the bed dramatically.

Rory returned a minute later with a glass of water and a package of Poptarts.

"Seriously?" Jess laughed at her. "You just had the best sex of your life, and all you want is Poptarts?"

"I told you I was hungry," she shrugged. "You know what happens when you don't stick to the Gilmore feeding schedule."

Jess just shook his head, a smile plastered on his face.

"Are you going to share?"

"Not if you're going to make fun of me," Rory scoffed.

"I'm sorry," he pouted. "Can I make it up to you?"

"I suppose," she shrugged. "Pizza?"

"I was thinking Thai," Jess countered.

"Thai Pizza?" Rory compromised.

"Sold. I'll go order," Jess got up and pulled on a pair of sweatpants.

"Get cheesy bread too!" Rory called after him.

"That's disgusting," he grimaced.

"Oh no, it's a culinary masterpiece," Rory corrected. "I'm gonna take a shower."

"You want some company?"

"Maybe..." She smirked at him over her shoulder, dropping her shirt as she went. "But there had better be food on the way before you join me."

When the food arrived half an hour later, they were laying on a blanket in the living room while Rory made a list of all the things that had to be done before Saturday.

"You know, this would be a lot sexier if you weren't making lists," Jess sighed.

"What are you talking about?" She scoffed. "This is as sexy as it gets. This is your future right here, buddy."

"Good to know," he laughed.

"So tomorrow we need to move all the desks out of the store and get disposable cups and plates," Rory started reading off the list. "Then we have to put the displays together and make sure everyone knows when their performances are supposed to start."

"Okay, but we don't have to do any of that tonight," Jess reached over and took the pen and paper from her.

"Hey!"

"Rory, come on!" Jess cried. "Can't you think of anything better to do than make lists?"

"We need a list," she argued. "If we don't have a list we're not going to get everything done!"

"We'll get everything done," he promised. "But we'll get it done tomorrow."

"Why put off tomorrow what you can do today?" Rory asked.

"Because I haven't seen my girlfriend in weeks and I can think of so many other things to do with her than sit on the living room floor making lists." He pulled her to his chest and started kissing her again, ignoring her pathetic attempts to get her pen back.

"But I need to-"

"Tomorrow."

"But the-"

"Shh."

"Jess-"

He covered her lips with his own and she ran out of arguments.

"Tomorrow?" She sighed.

"Tomorrow."

Jess sincerely regretted his decision to distract her the next morning when she woke him up at a completely indecent time.

"Jess," she leaned on his shoulder and whispered into his ear. "Jess."

When he didn't answer, she pushed his shoulder a couple times, eliciting a groan.

"Jess," she repeated. "Jess, wake up."

Another groan.

"Jeeesss," she sang his name. "Jeeesss."

When she didn't receive any sort of indication that he was waking up, she decided to up her game and proceeded to stick her tongue in his ear.

"Gah!" He bolted upright. "What the hell was that!?"

"What the hell was what?" Rory asked, smiling sweetly at him over her coffee cup.

"God!" He wiped his ear. "Never do that again!"

"Sure, Sweetie. So now that you're up-"

"I'm not up, I'm half asleep and annoyed," Jess corrected.

"Close enough," she shrugged. "Now that you're up, we have things to do."

"What time is it?" He looked around the room, trying to find the alarm clock.

"8."

"Oh, Geez!" He threw himself back against the pillows and pulled one over his head.

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen!" Rory pulled the pillow away. "I've been up for two hours already."

"Well then you should be committed."

"That's probably true, but it's not the point at the moment. The current point is that you need to get up and get ready and start helping me get _your_ store ready for _your_ open house tomorrow."

"There are two other people who work down there in this building, plus multiple paid employees," Jess pointed out.

"Yes, but I don't like them as much as you."

"Don't I feel lucky."

"Plus, I can't get them to do my bidding at the drop of a hat."

"I bet you could if you applied yourself a bit more," Jess said. "And I know how much you like a challenge."

"That's true, but not today. Up please!"

Jess glared at her for another minute, trying to decide whether or not he could get her to back down. Something in her face seemed to convince him he couldn't, so he sat up and nodded to her coffee cup.

"Give me that."

"Good choice," she grinned and handed it over. "So we have to go get disposable cups and plates for tomorrow and pick up the stuff we're renting from that party rental place. Then we have to finalize the performance schedule and Matt needs to make sure his poet doesn't go off script-"

"Good luck with that," Jess sniffed.

"It never hurts to try," she shrugged. "After that we need to move all the desks and crap downstairs and set up the displays for tomorrow."

"Is there any chance of breakfast making it's way onto that list of yours?" Jess asked.

"I guess, but it has to be fast."

"Great," he pushed himself out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Rory demanded.

"To take a shower, Herr Gilmore."

"You showered last night."

"If you think that was showering, there's not a chance in hell I'm letting you go back to school on Monday," Jess pulled her to his chest and kissed her.

"Fine," Rory sighed. "But be quick. Navy quick. Quick soap, quick rinse, and no excessive posing."

"Why don't you go harass one of the other employees?" Jess suggested. "The ones that are more afraid of incurring your wrath and don't want to lock you out of the building."

"You're very grumpy," Rory shook her head at him.

"That's because my girlfriend's turned into some sort of reverse gremlin that shouldn't be allowed to co-exist with the rest of the population in daylight."

"Well that was just uncalled for," Rory snatched her coffee cup back. "Maybe I'll just find someone else to shower with."

"Try it and I'll handcuff you to the bed," he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her roughly.

"That might be fun," Rory mused.

"I'm sorry, I must still be sleeping," Jess laughed harshly, a shocked look on his face.

Rory just smiled and spun on her heel, leaving him to watch her go, his jaw somewhere near his knees.

"Matt!" Rory sang, skipping down the stairs. "I need to talk to you!"

"Rory, it's eight in the morning," Chris groaned from the desk. "Why are you so loud and happy?"

"Because Christopher, unlike you, I'm not hungover."

"I'm not hungover," he argued.

"Sure you're not," she snorted. "Where's Matt?"

"Sleeping, like all the other sane people in the world."

"Thanks." She turned to head back up the stairs, then stopped and knocked over a stack of dictionaries on her way, causing a loud crash.

"God!" Chris winced and chucked a copy of Jess' book at her as she ran away.

"Matthew!" Rory knocked on his bedroom door. "Wake up!"

"Go away!" Matt called back, his voice muffled.

"Open the door or I'll do it myself," she called.

"No!"

"Five, four, three-"

The door flew open to reveal Matt standing in his underwear, his hair sticking up in every direction and a large red mark on his neck.

"Is that a hickey?" Rory asked, trying not to laugh.

"No," his hand flew to his neck. "It's a... a burn. I burned myself cooking dinner."

"You burned yourself on your neck while you were cooking?" Rory challenged, giggling at the flustered look on his face. "What exactly did you burn yourself with?"

"... A spoon," he said shiftily.

"Ha!" Rory scoffed and tried to look over his shoulder. "Where's Cynthia?"

"She had an early class. What do you want?"

"I need you to talk to your poet today."

"Seriously? You woke me up at the ass crack of dawn for that?!" Matt demanded.

"Jess suggested I go give other people tasks, and you were next on my list," she shrugged. "So I need you to call your poet and make sure that he doesn't do anything weird tomorrow."

"He's not going to do anything weird!"

Rory frowned and crossed her arms.

"Fine," Matt sighed. "I'll call him."

"Good."

"Can I go back to bed now?"

"Whatever."

She shrugged and ran back up to her own apartment to see if Jess was out of the shower yet.

"Jess!? Are you dressed yet?"

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Jess groaned, dragging himself out of the bedroom.

"Because there's a million things to do before tomorrow and everything needs to be perfect."

"It will be," he assured her. "But running around like a mad woman isn't going to make it any more perfect."

"I'm not being crazy," Rory scoffed. "I'm being efficient! Are you ready yet?"

"I'm ready to get breakfast."

"We don't have time for breakfast. We have things to do."

"No way, Gilmore! You promised me breakfast, now let's go."

He grabbed his keys and passed Rory her bag, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the apartment.

"Wait! I need my list!"

"We both know you have it memorized," Jess shook his head. "Come on."

"Fine," Rory huffed. "But as soon as breakfast is done-"

"Ya, ya. We'll start on your microscopic list," Jess agreed. "But first, pancakes."

"You don't like pancakes."

"Of course I like pancakes, why wouldn't you think I like pancakes?"

"Because you never eat them! In all the time you lived with Luke, I don't think I ever saw you eat pancakes."

"That doesn't mean I don't like pancakes," Jess argued. "That just means that I didn't eat breakfast in the diner. I like pancakes, just like everybody else on the planet."

"If you say so," Rory shrugged.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

After rushing Jess through his breakfast at the diner down the street, Rory spent the rest of the day ordering everyone around the store, arguing with performers and caterers on the phone and running across the entire city picking things up for the next day.

"Everything looks great!" Jess reassured for what felt like the fiftieth time that night when they had moved all the desks out of the store and into the storage room.

"Are you sure? Maybe we should put the books over there."

"NO!" Matt and Chris cried, exhausted from moving the tables back and forth for the last hour.

"It looks great where it is," Jess assured her. "It's perfect. We never would have been able to do it without you and tomorrow is going to be great."

"You're just saying that to make me stop," Rory frowned.

"No," Jess lied. "I'm saying it because it's true."

Matt and Chris nodded emphatically, but Rory looked at Cynthia.

"What do you think?"

"I'm actually with Jess on this one," Cynthia assured her. "It looks great."

"Okay," Rory finally sighed.

"Seriously!?" Jess cried. "You believe her over your own boyfriend?"

"Yes. Who wants a drink?"

"ME!" Chris practically vaulted over his chair and ran for the bar they had set up at the front desk, making Rory laugh.

"Beer? Tequila? Whiskey?"

"Here, here!" Chris slammed his hand down on the desk.

"That's disgusting," she cringed.

"Put some cherries in it, I'm hungry."

"You have a problem," Jess shook his head, pulling three beers out of the mini fridge and passing them around.

"Hey, I was playing bartender!" Rory shoved him away from the fridge.

"You were taking too long," he shrugged. "Beer?"

She snatched the bottle he handed her and dropped into a chair, crossing her arms moodily.

"Are you going to sulk now?" Jess mocked.

"No," she sulked, making Cynthia laugh.

"How about, instead of sulking, we talk about the bar we're going to buy?" Matt offered. "Rory hasn't heard about it yet."

"I have, actually. Jess told me."

"Did he tell you what we're going to name it?"

"No, because that's not what we're naming it," Jess shook his head.

"Why not!?" Matt demanded.

"Because it's stupid."

"It's not stupid."

"It's stupid," Chris agreed.

"How about you tell me what it is?" Rory suggested.

"Electric Kool-Aid Incorporated," Matt said proudly.

Rory stared at him for a second, then looked between Chris and Jess.

"Yeah," Jess cringed. "That's what I was trying to save you from."

"Okay, I've been living here on and off for a while now and I've got to ask," Rory turned to Cynthia. "What do you see in him?"

"I'm a catch!" Matt cried. "And a genius! Not to mention devilishly handsome."

Cynthia just shrugged, laughing too hard to form an argument to defend herself.

"Okay, other than the name that we're not using, tell me more about this bar," Rory laughed.

"It's the one around that corner that we go to," Chris explained. "The guy wants to sell it, so we've met with him a few times to discuss offers and stuff. We're planning on moving performances there and turning this place completely into a store and work space."

Rory nodded along, then realized they were all watching her.

"What?"

"What do you think?" Matt demanded.

"I think it sounds great," she assured them. "I mean, I'm sure there are kinks to work out but it sounds like a good next move."

"I told you," Jess accused the others. "I told you she was on board."

"Why wouldn't you think I was on board?"

"We just thought you'd think it was stupid," Chris shrugged.

"I don't think it's stupid," she promised. "I think it's a great idea and I'm completely on board."

"Great," Matt beamed. "In that case, you better start thinking up names."

"Yeah, because all of Matt's suck," Chris agreed.

"Why you always hating on me?" Matt demanded. "I have good ideas."

"Why do you sound like you just walked out of the ghetto?" Jess snorted. "Last time I checked, you were from Minnesota."

"I'm from Michigan, you idiot."

"It doesn't matter," Chris assured him. "You are literally the whitest person here and I feel it's my duty to tell you that you should not use phrases like that."

"Then stop being mean to me."

"Do you feel bullied?" Cynthia asked, getting up and sitting on her boyfriend's lap. "Are the other kids picking on you?"

"You know what," Matt shook his head. "I hate all of you, and I obviously need to make new friends."

He got up and stomped up the stairs, pulling Cynthia behind him while the others laughed hysterically.

"No wait come back!" Rory called after them. "We're sorry!"

"Yeah, we love you!" Chris joined in. "You're our favourite!"

"I thought I was your favourite," Rory turned and gave him her best puppy dog face.

"You are," Chris assured her.

"I heard that!" Matt yelled.

"Damn!" Chris cursed. "I didn't mean that!"

"Yes he did!" Jess called.

"You're not helping," Rory snorted.

"Sorry."

"You all suck!" They heard Matt yell down the stairs, followed by Cynthia giggling.

"He'll be fine," Chris decided.

"He better be," Rory frowned. "Everybody needs to be on their A-game tomorrow."

"Oh, God!" Chris groaned. "Do something with her!"

He turned to Jess and made a pleading gesture.

"Alright," Jess shrugged and got to his feet, grabbing Rory's beer from her hands.

"I wasn't done with that," she frowned.

"There's more upstairs. Come on." He grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet, then picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Jess!" She squealed.

"See you tomorrow," Jess waved at Chris and headed up the stairs, ignoring Rory's protests to being carried like a sack of potatoes.

"Oof!" Rory groaned when he dropped her on the bed a few minutes later. "Don't let the movies fool you, kids. I'm here to tell you that that's not sexy at all."

"No?" Jess leaned over her. "It felt pretty manly and impulsive. Isn't that the definition of sexy?"

"I'm pretty sure that was the definition of 'don't'."

"Nerd," Jess snorted.

"Seriously, though, that hurts!"

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to kiss it better?"

He lifted her shirt and slid off the bed, kneeling in front of her.

"I think that's going to make you feel better more than me," Rory frowned.

"Is that a dare?" Jess raised an eyebrow, placing open-mouthed kisses across her stomach.

"Mmm," Rory sighed and fell back against the mattress. "It's a double dare."


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 38**

The next morning was complete and utter chaos, despite all the preparation they had done the day before. Artists started stumbling in at ten in the morning, half of them still drunk or high from the night before, prompting Rory to make sure there was a steady flow of Gilmore strength coffee in the store all morning while she stopped them from writing on the walls or moving any of the artwork.

"God, I feel like a daycare teacher!" she complained to Jess as she made the seventh urn of coffee that morning.

"Yeah, it can be like that sometimes. I'll send Chris over to try and get everyone sober and calmed down."

"Great, I need to go find out where the caterer is."

"Cynthia already called. They just got stuck in some traffic."

"Okay," she nodded. "In that case, I'm going to go get something to eat."

"I'll hold the fort down," Jess assured her.

In the time it took Rory to eat and get dressed, people were already filtering in and Matt and Chris had pulled out the beer.

"It's barely noon," Rory pointed out when she saw the bottles. "And if you say, 'it's five o'clock somewhere'," She warned, seeing Matt start to open his mouth. "I will hurt you- severely."

Matt snapped his mouth shut and nodded.

"Want one?" Chris offered.

"I prefer to do my day drinking on a beach- or in my grandmother's house."

"Those are two very different scenarios," Matt pointed out.

"I wonder what Dr. Spock would have to say about that?" Chris mused.

"I'm sure he'd have tons to say," Rory assured them. "Where's Jess?"

"Over there somewhere," Matt pointed vaguely towards the other end of the room.

"Thanks."

She found him climbing over the desks in the storage room to get to a box of old zines.

"Enjoying the view?" Jess asked, looking over his shoulder and noticing that she was watching him.

"Absolutely," she grinned. "Mom was right, the Danes men have nice butts."

"God, get that image out of my head!" Jess grimaced, making Rory laugh.

"Too late. Want some help?"

"No, I've almost got it." He sat up on his knees and pulled a box over his head. "I figured we might as well get rid of some of these. They're just taking up space."

"Sure," Rory nodded.

"Have you seen Benji yet? He's supposed to be doing some signing," Jess passed her the box and climbed back to the doorway.

"Not yet," Rory shook her head. "But he'll be here."

"I'm glad someone here is still optimistic about him," Jess kissed her temple.

"No, I just told him that if he didn't show I'd send the cops looking for him."

"Nice!" Jess picked the box up and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"I have my moments," she smiled.

"Um, excuse me," a petite blonde girl approached them, Jess's book clutched to her chest. "Are you Jess Mariano?"

"That's me," Jess nodded.

"Wow, oh my God. I love your book so much, it's just it's so amazing and..."

Jess tried not to look too uncomfortable and Rory elbowed him to make him stop shuffling from foot to foot.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Could you sign it for me?" The girl held out the book and a sharpie.

"Uh, sure," Jess nodded. "I guess, uh, what's your name?"

"Gemma," she beamed. "Gemma Olson."

Jess nodded and opened the cover, scribbling a signature onto the first page and handing it back.

"Thank you!" Gemma beamed and scurried away, clutching the book to her chest tightly.

Rory smirked and turned to look up at Jess.

"That was weird," he frowned.

"That was being famous," Rory grinned. "How's it feel to be a big shot?"

"I'm not a big shot," Jess shook his head.

"You've got fans," Rory poked him. "That is the definition of a big shot."

"I have _A_ fan," he corrected.

"Hey, I'm your fan too!"

"You're biased."

"Maybe," she shrugged. "But I'm still a fan."

"Whatever. I need a beer."

"God, I live with a bunch of alkies," she joked.

"Do you want one?"

"No, because I don't feel the need to drink before three in the afternoon."

"Give it another hour," Jess assured her. "You'll need a drink by then."

"Whatever you say. I'll go put these out."

She took the box from him and found a table with space left on it.

"Excuse me, do you know where I could find the famous Yale Editor?" Lorelai asked, appearing behind her.

"You came!" Rory smiled, pulling her into a hug.

"I told you I would. Do you not trust your own mother?"

"You have your moments," Rory pointed out. "You just missed it, Jess met his first fan."

"Really? How did that go?"

"Awkward and slightly hilarious. So, do you want a tour?"

"Sure."

They linked arms and Rory led her through the building.

"So, there are usually desks all over the place, as you know, and we do performances over there."

"What is that?" Lorelai stopped and pointed at a painting.

"It's an abstract painting."

"What's it supposed to be?" Lorelai asked.

"I have no idea," Rory shrugged. "But the colours are pretty. Want coffee?"

"Always."

They each grabbed a mug and a couple biscottis, then sat in a corner to chat while the guys made sure everything ran smoothly. They had just finished discussing Lane's wedding dress when Chris came over looking worried.

"What's wrong?" Rory sighed.

"Benji got arrested. He's on the phone now, asking for you."

"Damn it!" Rory jumped to her feet and ran for the phone, snatching it from Matt.

"I guess you'll be doing the talking now," he frowned.

"Benji, what the hell happened?" She demanded.

"Well, you see, there was this asshole cop and he was pushing us around and I wasn't doing anything Rory, I swear, but he was pushing us around-"

"You got one more minute!" Someone yelled in the background.

"Damn it, Benji! Where are you?" Rory demanded.

"The Police Station, I already told Chris."

" _Which_ Police Station?" Rory seethed.

"Second street."

"What were you charged with?"

"I wasn't charged with anything," he lied.

"Benji!" Rory snapped. "I don't have time for this. What were you charged with and who do I need to call to post your bail?"

"Possession," he finally admitted. "They haven't set bail yet."

"Then why are you calling me?"

"You said if I didn't show up you send the cops after me."

He sounded like a hurt puppy, and Rory immediately felt bad for yelling at him. He was completely insane and drove her nuts, but yelling at him was like yelling at Kirk- it was just inhumane.

"Okay," she sighed. "I forgive you for not being here. Do you want me to call someone for you?"

"No, I'll get another phone call when they post bail."

"Okay. Call us when you're out."

She put the phone back on the hook and banged her head against the wall a couple times.

"That good, huh?" Matt put his hand between her head and the wall.

"I swear to God, I'm going to kill him."

"Get in line. You want a beer?"

"Yes please," she sighed.

"Hey, what happened?" Lorelai joined them at the bar.

"Jess's best author got himself arrested and I'm going to kill him," Rory took the beer Matt handed her and took a large gulp.

"Look who's an alky now," Matt teased.

"Shut up."

"As much as I hate to interrupt this love fest," Jess joined them. "Someone wants to talk to you, Matt."

"It's so taxing being popular," he sighed dramatically as he walked away.

"So, arrested?" Jess asked.

"Yep, he's gonna call when he's out."

"Hey, last time he got arrested he wrote a book," Jess shrugged. "It's amazing what sobriety can do to a man."

"Who are you hanging out with?" Lorelai demanded, looking vaguely horrified.

"We don't hang out with him, we just publish his insane, cocaine induced ramblings," Jess assured her.

"Oh, good. Where's the bathroom?"

"You can go up to the apartment," Rory pointed to the stairs.

"Aren't you afraid I'm gonna snoop through all your stuff like a good mom should?"

"Not really, but you're more than welcome to," Rory shrugged.

"Cool, maybe I'll be able to find all the clothes you stole from me."

"I hide those at school."

"Good to know, you little rat!"

Rory just smiled and ran off to talk to Cynthia about something, leaving Lorelai to find her way upstairs.

"Okay, I have important information!" Matt suddenly announced to the room. "Truncheon employee meeting on the stairs!"

"Because this is the perfect time for an employee meeting," Rory grumbled.

"Okay, Mikey just gave me a number and a forty-eight hour deadline," Matt said once they had all gathered.

"Mikey?" Rory asked.

"He owns the bar," Cynthia filled her in. "So, what's the number?"

"One hundred and fifty."

Jess whistled appreciatively while Chris scowled.

"Why are you scowling?" Matt demanded. "That's way lower than we thought he was going to go! He's practically giving it away."

"I wouldn't go that far," Jess frowned. "But it is a deal."

"We need our own bar!" Matt cried, as if this were a new revelation. "We need somewhere for everyone to go that's not our office."

"You say it like we're fighting you," Jess said. "We're not fighting you."

"We need some place where the next De Kooning can run into the next Franz Kline and diss the next Jackson Pollock while the next Charlie Parker shoots up in the corner," he continued.

"So a nice family place," Chris joked.

"We can call it... Cedar Bar Redux."

"I would kick my own ass if we called it that!" Jess scoffed.

"Hey, why don't we call it Devoid of Original Ideas Poseur Bar?" Chris offered.

"I like it," Rory smiled. "I think it really captures the vibe you're going for."

"God, don't say vibe," Jess grimaced.

"Why, does it harsh your vibe?"

"Go to hell," Matt sulked, walking away. "All of you."

"Hey, come back for a hug, man!" Jess called after him, then got distracted when he saw a woman walk through the front door.

"Isn't that Alicia Matheson?" Chris asked, noticing where Jess was looking.

"Yeah. Cynthia, grab Matt." Jess ordered. "Get him off the bar for a bit and have him show her around."

"On it," she nodded and ran off to find her boyfriend.

"Cedar Bar Redux," Chris snickered again.

"I know," Jess shook his head.

"Hey," Rory grabbed his arm and pointed across the room.

"Oh, great!" Jess grabbed her hand and pulled her over to where Luke was standing staring at the same painting that had boggled Lorelai earlier.

"So my eyes don't deceive me," Jess patted his Uncle on the back.

"First things first," Luke turned to him and motioned to the painting. "What the hell is this?"

"An abstract painting."

"Yeah, but what's it supposed to be?"

"Check the title," Jess shrugged.

"I did, it's called 'Untitled'."

"There you go," Jess smirked.

"I give up," Luke said frustratedly. "Hi, Rory."

"So you got the invite," Jess observed.

"Yeah, didn't Rory tell you?"

"She did, but I didn't think you would come."

"Well you thought wrong, Nephew."

"Alright, well, do you want the tour then?"

"Give me the tour," Luke conceded.

"Well, this is where we work, Truncheon Books," Jess motioned around the room. "Usually there's desks and stuff piled all over the place, but we cleaned up for today."

They wandered to one of the display tables and Jess pointed out the books they had published.

"We put out a monthly zine too, except for last August when my partner forgot to pay the printer," he mused. "We let local artists hang their stuff up without ripping them off on commission and we do performances over there. And then there are a couple apartments upstairs where we all live. _That_ , you don't want to see- it's a disaster."

"Hey!" Rory piped up. "Our apartment is not a disaster!"

"Are you kidding?" Jess gawked at her. "It looks like an atomic bomb went off up there."

"That's because you leave paper everywhere," Rory frowned. "Other than that it's clean."

"Sure," Jess patronized her.

Luke ignored their bickering and picked up one of the books Jess had pointed out.

"Hey, this is yours, right?" He held up a copy of The Subsect. "I wanted to get it, but I couldn't find it anywhere."

"It's not exactly The Da Vinci Code," Jess shrugged.

"Well, I'll definitely get it today," Luke promised. "By the way, that's your cousin."

Luke pointed to a girl across the room with brown curly hair and glasses, browsing through a shelf of books.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you were here with her, Daddy?" Jess asked.

"She just calls me Luke. Total brain."

"Have you confirmed paternity?" Jess frowned.

"Don't be a wise-ass," Luke chastised him, making Rory snicker. "Hey, April! Come here a second."

She put down the book she had been looking at and joined them.

"April, this is your cousin Jess."

"Hi," April grinned.

"Hey," Jess took a sip of his beer.

"Men in this family aren't chatty," April observed after a moment of awkward silence.

"Sorry," Jess shrugged.

Realizing that she wasn't going to get much out of him, April turned to Rory who was still standing under Jess's arm.

"You have a great face."

"Oh, thanks. You too," Rory smiled at her.

"Oh, right," Luke seemed to have just realized that Rory was still there. "April this is Rory, she's an old friend."

"She doesn't look old," April frowned.

"Oh, no I just mean I've known her for a long time," Luke explained. "Since she was your age. She's actually the daughter of the woman I'm seeing, my fiancee, Lorelai. You remember, you met her that one time. It's complicated."

"Obviously," April nodded.

"I also happen to be Jess's girlfriend," Rory said. "Just to add to the confusion."

April nodded and looked around uncomfortably.

"Well, I'm going to go explore some more," she finally said. "Nice meeting you."

"So how are you adjusting to that?" Jess asked once April was out of earshot.

"Okay," Luke shrugged. "I like her, and she just sort of tolerates me."

"Seems like it."

"Thanks for the perspective."

"That's why I'm here," Jess smirked. "Come on, I've got some sculpture here you're really gonna hate."

"I'm gonna go see where Mom went," Rory pulled away. "She's been gone for way too long."

"She's probably searching your sock drawer for contraband," Jess agreed.

"The only person here who keeps contraband in their sock drawer is you," she pointed out. "So have fun explaining that to her."

"Lorelai is here?" Luke asked as Rory ran off.

"Yeah, didn't she tell you?"

"No," Luke shook his head. "She must have forgot to mention it."

Jess couldn't tell if his Uncle was angry or not, so he decided to let it go for the time being and just keep showing him around. He felt like it was Open House at school and he was showing his parents the painting his teacher had put up on the wall. It was a strange feeling that he wasn't used to, but a good feeling all the same. It was nice to be able to finally show off his accomplishments to the people that had believed in and helped him.

"Mom!" Rory called, opening the apartment door. "Did you get lost?"

"I got distracted," she called from the kitchen.

"And hungry," Rory observed.

The fridge was open and there were multiple boxes of cereal on the table.

"I didn't eat breakfast," she frowned.

"Whatever," Rory shrugged. "Luke is downstairs. And he brought April."

"What?" Lorelai stopped rifling through the fridge and looked up.

"Yep, I just met her."

"You did," her mother nodded, obviously unhappy with the situation.

"Yeah. If you came down, he'd probably introduce you too."

Lorelai frowned and turned back to the fridge.

"Don't you guys have leftovers?"

"No. Jess usually lives off TV dinners and Cynthia's cooking when I'm not here," Rory pulled her mother from the fridge and closed the door. "Okay, how long is this going to go on? Because you and I both know it's not healthy and it's killing you."

"Look, this is the way Luke wants things. He wants me to stay out of it, so I'm staying out of it."

"But you're going to be her stepmother," Rory argued. "Don't you want to at least meet her? I mean, you don't have to go out for mother-daughter bonding or anything, but a simple 'Hi, how are you?' couldn't hurt anyone."

"That's not my call," Lorelai shrugged. "It's Luke's call, and this is the call he made."

"Fine," Rory huffed. "I have to get back downstairs."

"I'll come back down in a bit, if you don't mind me crashing up here."

"Make yourself comfortable," Rory sighed. "The remote is under the couch."

"Why is it under the couch?" Lorelai asked, looking confused.

"Because that way we always know where it is. It can't get buried under books and paper and crap if it's under there."

"You guys are weird."

"Well, you raised me," Rory shrugged.

Lorelai hid up stairs for close to an hour, figuring Luke would get a quick tour and then leave. She didn't expect to find him sitting listening to a poetry reading.

"Well that's something you don't see everyday," she wandered over to where her daughter stood, sipping a beer.

"What?"

"Luke, listening to poetry."

"Oh, yeah. We've been placing bets on how long it takes for him to crack," Rory smirked. "I say he makes a run for it after the next mention of freaky sex."

"Has there been a lot of that?" Lorelai frowned.

"More than you would expect. Do you want a beer?"

"No thanks, I would take a coffee though."

"That way," Rory pointed to the coffee station that had been moved to the front desk.

"Thanks. Hey Jess," Lorelai greeted him as they passed each other.

"Hey, Luke is over there."

"I saw," Lorelai smiled tightly. "I'm just gonna get some coffee."

"Hey!" Matt ran over to them, looking nervous.

"What's wrong?" Jess sighed, taking the beer Rory offered him.

"Alicia just left, and I have no idea what she's going to write," he explained.

"You're not supposed to know what she's going to write," Rory pointed out. "She's a member of the free press."

"Yeah, but she just played it so close to the vest, you know?"

"Don't worry about it," Jess patted his back and handed over his beer. "Drink this and stop stressing, okay?"

"Fine," he huffed.

"So, how's he doing?" Jess turned to Rory and nodded towards Matt's poet, Angel.

"Okay," Rory shrugged. "I mean, he hasn't pulled out anything too crazy yet."

" _Yet_ being the key word."

"Exactly."

"Where's Luke?"

Rory pointed to where he sat at the back of the crowd with April, listening to Angel's ramblings about Herman Melville and Jesus.

"No way," Jess scoffed.

"Yep," Rory nodded. "I was pretty impressed. Although I don't think he's as big a fan as April seems to be."

"Ha!" Jess smiled widely. "This day just keeps getting better."

"Okay, can I just say your coffee sucks," Lorelai joined them again. "It wasn't this crappy earlier."

"That's because I got distracted and let the caterer take over once everyone sobered up," Rory frowned. "It's also why I switched to beer."

"Good choice," Lorelai winced as she took another sip.

"Okay, was that supposed to mean something or-" Luke asked as he approached them, then stopped abruptly when he saw his fiancee standing there. "Lorelai."

"Hey," she smiled nervously. "I, uh, thought you'd be gone by now."

"We were just heading out," Luke nodded. "April!"

She appeared at his side holding Jess's book.

"Your books are really easy to skim," she criticized.

"Thanks, that'll make a great blurb!" Jess said.

"So, uh, April we should probably get going," Luke said. "I bet you want to get back to that boyfriend of yours."

"He's not my boyfriend," his daughter said, obviously annoyed, then turned to look at Lorelai.

"Hello."

"Hi," Lorelai nodded to the girl.

"You look familiar. Have we met before?" April asked.

"Uh, April, this is my fiancee, Lorelai," Luke introduced them. "You met her once at the diner."

"Right," April nodded. "I was filling the salt and pepper shakers."

"You were," Lorelai confirmed. "It's nice to see you again."

"You too," April smiled, completely oblivious to the tension that surrounded her.

"Right, well we should go," Luke said quickly.

"Wait," Jess stopped him. "I have something for you if you come up to the apartment."

"Oh, uh, sure," Luke nodded and looked down at April. "Can you just stay with Rory for a minute."

"Uh-huh."

Luke looked nervously between his daughter and fiancee, then nodded and followed Jess to the stairs.

"So, uh, what was that about a boyfriend?" Rory asked, trying not to let things get too awkward.

"All I said was that I liked a boy," April complained. "I realized it was a mistake the minute I said it, and now he thinks I have a boyfriend."

"I get it," Rory nodded. "He'll forget about it before you know it, though. Trust me."

"Hey, do you remember when you told Luke you wanted to marry Bono?" Lorelai asked, laughing to herself.

"I was very young!" Rory frowned at her mother. "And he was very talented."

"Hey, I'm not judging," Lorelai threw her hands up. "I'm just remembering how flustered Luke got. I thought he was going to lock you in a closet to keep you from running off to Ireland."

"Yeah," Rory smiled at the memory. "It was always fun when he got that terrified look on his face."

"The one where his eyebrows get all close together and his eyes look like they're about to spin in two different directions?" April asked.

"That's the one," Rory smiled proudly. "You're going to have a lot of fun eliciting that look."

"Good to know," April smiled.

"Hey," Luke returned a moment later, a copy of The Subsect in his hand and a proud look on his face. "You ready to go?"

"Sure," April nodded and put the book she was still holding down. "It was nice to meet you all."

"Likewise," Rory smiled at her. "Maybe we'll get to see you around Stars Hollow sometime."

She looked at Luke when she said this, trying to convey with her eyes that it was time for him to stop screwing around and let them be a real family.

"Maybe," he shrugged and turned to Lorelai. "I'll talk to you tonight?"

"Yep," she smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Bye."

"Are you okay?" Rory asked her once they were gone.

"I'm fine," her mother lied. "I think I'm going to head out too. I don't want to hit traffic."

"Are you sure? You could stay for dinner, or you could stay the night."

"No, I need to get back so I can feed Paul Anka," Lorelai shook her head. "Thanks for inviting me, though. It was cool seeing the place again."

"Come back anytime," Rory hugged her. "The door is always open."

"Seriously, the lock on the back door has been broken since January," Jess nodded.

"You should probably get that fixed," Lorelai frowned. "The place really does look great, Jess. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thanks," he looked down at the floor awkwardly.

"Well, I better go. Bye, Hon." She hugged her daughter again, nodded at Jess and headed for the door, avoiding looking back at Rory's concerned stare.

"She'll be fine," Jess squeezed Rory's shoulder.

"I hope so," she sighed. "Come on, let's see what else Angel has to share today."

It turned out Angel had plenty to share, and most of it hadn't gone through them, prompting a long and exhausting argument between Matt, Jess and Chris while Rory and Cynthia cleaned up later that night.

"He wasn't supposed to premiere new material!" Jess cried for the fifth time.

"It wasn't bad," Matt argued, prompting Jess to throw his hands up in disgust.

"It was rambling," Chris cried. "And what was that whole part about 'desiring Golda Meir'?"

"Please, tell me that was symbolic!" Jess begged, his tone vaguely revolted.

"I'll talk to my poet," Matt finally huffed.

"Thank you!" Jess called as he walked away, turning back to Chris.

"We're going to that Bar we're _not_ going to be naming Cedar Bar Redux," he said. "Are you coming?"

"Uh, maybe," Jess nodded and looked around for Rory. "You guys go ahead, we'll catch up."

Chris shrugged and went upstairs to get his coat, leaving Jess to find his girlfriend. She had finally let the catering people take over the clean up and had dropped into a chair to read for a few minutes. As he approached her, Jess realized that it was his book she was reading and rolled his eyes.

"You know, you don't have to read it again," he told her as he pulled a stool over.

"I know I don't," Rory smiled.

"God, there are so many things I would change," Jess complained. "I'd keep the back cover, everything else goes."

"You know why I love your book?" Rory asked, turning to face him. "It doesn't remind me of anything. It's not a rip-off. It's just you."

"High Praise, Miss Yale Editor," Jess chuckled. "But I think you're one of the few people that could actually appreciate something like that."

"I don't know, your fangirl seemed pretty in love."

"Yeah, that was weird," Jess shuddered.

"It was adorable," Rory corrected. "Didn't it feel cool signing a book for someone?"

"I signed your book," Jess pointed out.

"That doesn't count. Hey, what did you and Luke talk about when you went upstairs?"

"I gave him a copy of the book and that cheque I've been saving."

"How did he take that?"

"He didn't want to take it, but I told him I would just keep sending them until he cashed it. Then he told me he was proud of me." Jess looked at the floor, embarrassed to admit how much that had meant to him. Luke was one of the few people who had always believed in him, and after spending so many years disappointing him, it felt good to finally make the man that had been a father to him proud.

"Of course he's proud of you," Rory put a hand to his face. "You've done amazing things."

Jess nodded, still not looking at her.

"I'm proud of you too," she assured him. "I mean, you made it, Babe. This is it."

"You think so?"

"Definitely. I mean, we're sitting in your publishing house, talking about your book. You've come so far, Jess." She smiled brightly, her love for him radiating between them.

"All that matters to me, is that you're sitting here beside me," Jess took her hand. "If I didn't have you here, I don't think this would mean as much as it does."

"It still would," Rory shook her head. "But you won't have to find out. You're stuck with me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Who else would put up with my housekeeping skills?"

Jess laughed and pulled her into a kiss, trying to convey how much it truly meant to him that she was there.

"Are you happy?" Rory asked when he pulled away, resting her forehead against him.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," she kissed him again. "So, do you want to go for drinks?"

"Yeah," he stood up and offered her his hand. "Let's go for drinks and figure out what to name our new bar."

"Hey, what about The Sands Remixed?" Rory offered, making Jess groan. "Or The Prodigal?"

"Go get your purse," Jess shook his head.

"Hey, that was a good one. The wayward children returning, you know? Cause we're wayward and-"

"I got it," he assured her.

"Your book was obviously a fluke," Rory shook her head. "Because you have absolutely no creativity or whimsy."

"The book dried me up," he shrugged. "My creativity is on back order."

"It's a good thing you have me then," she grinned.

"Is that what we're calling it?" He frowned. "Because I was feeling pretty victimized by your so called creativity. Are you sure you're a writer?"

"Hmph!" Rory scoffed. "And here I was going to buy you a drink, but if you're going to be like that, I think I might go home with Matt instead."

"I'm sure Cynthia would love that," Jess laughed.

"At least he appreciates my ideas."

"That's because he's just as crazy as you are. Are you ready?"

"Yep," Rory grinned and took his hand. "How about, I'd Rather Be In Philadelphia?"

Jess groaned and draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side and hoping her voice would be muffled by his jacket.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 39**

The next week was just as crazy as the previous one. Rory had lunch with her father on Wednesday, where she was gifted a new cellphone, then spent the rest of the week getting the paper finished so she could get home in time for Lane's bachelorette party on Friday night.

"So you're going to meet me there tomorrow, right?" Rory asked Jess when they spoke on Thursday night.

"Actually, something came up here so I don't think I'll make it by tomorrow night," Jess admitted. "I'm going to be there first thing Saturday morning, though. I promise."

"Okay. I'll probably be too wasted to know you're there anyways."

"Good to know," Jess laughed.

"Hold on a second," Rory looked up to see Bill hovering over her desk. "What do you want?"

"I have a question about this weekend's issue."

"And it can't wait?"

"For you to finish planning when you can next have sex with your boyfriend? No."

"What?" Jess laughed.

"Fine," Rory sighed. "Ask your question."

"How can you leave _her_ in charge?!" Bill demanded, pointing at Paris.

"Bill, we've gone over this," she huffed. "Paris has experience getting the paper out and I'm going to be completely unreachable this weekend. She's the most experienced one here. Now, can I get back to my phone call?"

"The bunker!" Bill cried. "Do you not remember the bunker?"

"Do you remember the part where I was busy?"

"You can't put Paris in charge!"

On hearing her name, Paris hurried over to join the argument.

"She can and she should," she argued.

"I'm gonna have to call you back," Rory sighed, speaking into her phone.

"Alright, just don't let Paris kill the poor schmuck. That would definitely get in the way of your bachelorette plans."

"Noted," Rory laughed. "Bye."

She ended the call and turned back to the reporters arguing in front of her desk.

"When the editor in chief isn't here, the managing editor is in charge," Bill argued. "That's standard operating procedure at every newspaper in the country."

"Yes, but I've done this thousands of times, and you've never done it," Paris argued. "I have the needed experience."

"Experience that led to mutiny! It's not like they ever gave Captain Bligh another ship after the Bounty."

"Of course they did!" Paris scoffed. "Multiple ships. And by the time he died they promoted him to Rear Admiral. Do you think the British Royal Navy ruled the world in the 19th Century by letting that much natural talent and leadership capability go to waste just because a few whiny complainers wanted more food and less scurvy?!"

"The bunker!" Bill cried again, turning back to Rory.

"I hardly see how my choice of workspace is relevant," Paris crossed her arms.

"There was insurrection, a revolt, an uprising!" Bill cried. "She was deposed!"

"See how wordy he is?" Paris asked. "He overwrites. Plus, he's always been weak with the gerunds."

"Could you two maybe take this somewhere else?" Rory asked, not looking up from her computer. "I'm trying to work here."

"Fine, let's go to my desk," Bill offered.

"And give you the home court advantage? Yeah, right." Paris crossed her arms and rooted herself to the spot, making Rory groan frustratedly.

"Okay, you know what?" Rory got to her feet. "Paris is going to get the paper out tomorrow night, and all it's going to require is making sure that it gets sent to the printer on time because I'm going to have everything else done before I leave. Okay? Good."

She grabbed her bag and coat before either of them could say anything else and headed for the door.

"I'll see everyone tomorrow!" She called.

"Wait!" Bill started to chase after her, but Rory closed the door before he could get there and pulled her phone out again.

"Hey," Jess answered on the second ring. "Do you need me to come post bail?"

"No," she laughed. "Not yet, at least. I made a run for it."

"Smart. So I'll meet you at your place on Saturday morning?"

"Sounds good. You should probably bring some good hangover remedies."

"I was planning on it," Jess assured her.

They chatted idly for the rest of her drive home, Rory telling him all about the plans they had for the bachelorette party.

"Did I ever tell you about the time Luke asked if I was a gigolo?" Jess asked when she told him what movie they were going to see.

"No! How could you hold out on me like that!?"

"It was when I told him I worked at Wal-Mart," Jess laughed. "I didn't want to admit it, so I told him that I went to a place that paid me for my services and that was the conclusion he jumped to."

"Wow," Rory laughed. "He spends _way_ too much time with my mom."

"I completely agree, although I don't think that's going to be changing anytime soon."

Rory heard muffled yelling in the background and heard Jess put the phone to his shoulder and yell something back.

"Hey, Ror, I gotta go. We're having a problem with the printer."

"Go, be a hero. I'll see you Saturday."

When she got to the paper the next afternoon, Bill and Paris were still arguing over who should be in charge.

"Okay, everyone!" Rory called the room to attention. "I need to be out of her by 3, so if you have any problems tell me before that or it becomes Paris's problem and I need everyone's articles!"

There was a communal murmuring of agreement, followed by an onslaught of people approaching her desk in lieu of dealing with Paris. Between solving everyone's problems and getting the layout finished, Rory's afternoon was jammed and she was running late.

"Sheila!" She called from her desk. "I thought I told you to cut the second paragraph!"

"Sorry, I forgot!"

"Good work, Sheila. A.K. Time?"

"3:15!" He called back.

"Okay, just a reminder that I'm leaving at 3 which was fifteen minutes ago!" Rory called. "So if you have any issues, leave them till Monday or take them up with Paris!"

"Here's my Pro-Tenure piece," Paris hurried over to her desk.

"Great," Rory took the paper.

"And here's my Anti-Tenure piece."

"Paris," Rory sighed.

"Just hear me out!"

"No- Phones are ringing people!" Rory called, getting annoyed by the annoying sound. "Let's answer them. Who knows, maybe it's someone calling with a story. Wouldn't that be neat?!"

She got up and started to walk across the room, Paris hot on her heels.

"When I first started writing, I believed passionately that tenure was a reward for excellent service and a way for schools to attract the best faculty members from across the country," she explained.

"Sounds good," Rory agreed.

"But then I started to think about the other side of the argument," she shook her head. "I mean, money and employment for the rest of your life? No matter what? Where is the incentive to keep the standards high? Remember Professor Leavers? He got tenured and lost all interest, just sat there dowie eyed and sleepy. It was like being taught by Jimmy Kimmel."

"Fine, Anti-Tenure," Rory agreed. "Stamp it and ship it."

"I was thinking you could print both," Paris said, making Rory stop walking and finally look at her.

"What?"

"Side-by-side, like a point/counterpoint."

"You want me to print a point/counterpoint where both points are written by the same person?" Rory demanded.

"Bold, huh?" Paris beamed.

"You have five minutes to pick a side," Rory shook her head. "A.K time?"

"3:17!"

She hurried back to her desk and finished up with the layout, double checking everything before saving it and closing out her computer.

"Layout is done!" She announced. "A.K?"

"3:20."

"I'm audi!" She grabbed her bag and coat. "Jill, approve Paris's article when it's done."

"I can't pick a side," Paris cried as Rory passed her desk. "Either way I look at it, I'm right."

"Flip a coin, then," Rory shrugged. "If I come back on Monday morning and find out you printed both, I _will_ kill you. I don't care what kind of kinky martial arts you do."

"But-"

"I'll see you Monday, Paris!"

Leaving the newsroom behind, trying to ignore the feelings of panic she was experiencing at leaving Paris in charge, Rory headed back to her apartment to grab her stuff before heading home to Stars Hollow.

She only stopped at her house for a minute to drop her stuff off before going to meet Lane and the others.

"Lane, I'm here!" She called, letting herself into the store. "And I-"

"Move!" Mrs Kim interrupted, running past her with a large box, followed closely by her daughter.

"Lane, hi, I-"

"Coming through!" Lane cried.

"Am I early?" Rory asked, very confused by the scene she had stumbled into.

"Sorry," Lane reentered the store. "Hi, glad you're here."

"What's going on?" Rory asked, looking around the room and noticing how empty it was. "And where's all your stuff?"

"My grandma's coming," Lane explained as she started filling another box.

"Well, geez, how big is she?"

"She hasn't been out of Korea in 45 years because she refuses to travel," Lane continued. "So we figured there's no way she'd come, but she called today, and she's coming."

"So that's nice, right?" Rory asked, following her friend around the room.

"Help me!" Mrs Kim called, interrupting their conversation.

"Coming!" Lane hurried around the corner, pulling Rory with her.

"Whoa, big Buddha!" Rory observed, looking at the statue Mrs Kim was trying to move.

"Save the commentary. Grab the feet," the woman ordered. "Be careful. Don't let it drop."

"What happens if it drops?" Rory asked as they shuffled the idol to the other room, thinking she would be told about some ancient curse or string of bad luck.

"It breaks," Mrs Kim said, rather anticlimactically.

"Oh," Rory frowned. "You ask a stupid question..."

"Down here. I'll have the boys next door bring the next one in." Mrs Kim turned back to her daughter. "Did you get the crucifixes out of the kitchen?"

"No."

"Go, both of you!" She ordered, an air of panic in her voice. "Go! Go!"

"Going," Rory turned and ran for the kitchen.

"And don't forget the Christ's feet tea towel!" Mrs Kim called after them.

"Okay, seriously, you've got to fill me in or I've gotta call my life line," Rory told Lane. "What's with the Buddha."

"Apparently my grandmother's a Buddhist," Lane explained as they gathered all the Seventh Day Adventist paraphernalia.

"Go hide these in your room," Mrs Kim ordered, adding a number of Bibles and knick knacks to their piles.

"Closet?" Lane asked.

"Floor boards!"

"I don't understand. So your Grandma's Buddhist. Why are we... Oh, my God," the realization suddenly dawned on Rory as she pulled up the floorboards. "She doesn't know."

"Nope," Lane laughed.

"Your mother's mother doesn't know that she's a Seventh Day Adventist!"

"And it would be a very big deal if she found out," Lane added.

"That is so weird!"

"Tell me about it," Lane agreed. "I just discovered that I am simply the latest link in a chain of Kim women who hide their real lives under floorboards away from their mothers."

"Lane, she's here!" Mrs Kim called up the stairs, following the doorbell.

They quickly finished stuffing the crosses and Bibles under the floor and hurried down the stairs.

"I want all boys!" Lane cried in exasperation.

"Praise Buddha," Rory offered.

When they got to the top of the stairs, they slowed and tried to catch their breath before greeting the older woman that stood in the doorway.

"That's your mom's mom?" Rory asked.

"Yep," Lane nodded.

The older woman looked up at them and spoke in angry Korean, giving what Rory assumed was an order to come and greet her.

"I see the resemblance," she muttered to Lane, who bit her lip to avoid laughing.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Lane's grandmother hugged her happily, then turned to her daughter and spoke in an annoyed tone. When the conversation had finished, they hurried to the Buddha that had just been carried in and started to bow.

"What was that all about?" Rory asked.

"Three complaints, two insults and a hefty dose of religious guilt," Lane explained.

"What are they doing now?"

"Their ritual of 108 bows."

"Should be called 108 'ows'," Rory snickered. "Oh, my mother would have liked that one."

They stood in the doorway for a minute, watching the ritual until Lane looked at her watch.

"Oh, shoot, we have to go." She approached the bowing women cautiously. "Uh, mama? Mama, we have to go."

"80 to go," Mrs Kim replied.

"Okay, see you later." Lane turned and motioned for Rory to make a run for it before they could finish, not wanting to hear the lecture that they would be sure to get.

"So, what does this mean for the wedding?" Rory asked as they walked towards Doose's.

"I'm having two weddings," Lane told her. "First, we're going to have the traditional Buddhist wedding, then we're going to make a run for the church."

"And Zack's cool with that?"

"He's actually really psyched," Lane wrinkled her nose. "I showed him the traditional gown he has to wear and now he can't stop talking about it."

"That's not worrying at all," Rory snorted.

"Yeah, well," Lane laughed. "When the ceremonies are over, there's going to be a ton of food for all my mom's guests and then our party."

"And Kirk is going to set everything up?" Rory asked sceptically.

"Yes, and if he doesn't I am going to personally kick his ass from here to Woodbridge."

"I'll help," Rory promised. "So, is there anything else that I need to be caught up on?"

"I don't think so," Lane laughed. "Have you seen the dress yet?"

"No, but my mom told me all about it. It sounds great."

"It is!" Lane gushed. "And she hasn't said anything about it!"

As they approached the market, Sookie and Lorelai started to sing 'Here Comes the Bride' loudly and completely out of tune while their other friends clapped along.

"Welcome ladies!" Lorelai beamed. "Before we begin, I have some party favours to hand out."

She held up a bunch of pink party bags and started passing them around, then pulled out a veil for Lane.

"Here you go, Bride!" She placed it on the girl's head with a flourish, then stepped back to admire her handiwork.

"Well? How do I look?" Lane asked, striking a pose.

"You look like a stereotypical bride at her bachelorette party," Rory laughed.

"Just what I was going for!" Lorelai beamed. "Now, before we can really get this party started, we'll need supplies. I have here, in my hand, the list that I will now pass over to our ever trustworthy co-leader and Maid of Honor, Miss Rory Gilmore!"

"Thank you," Rory smiled and scanned the list. "Alright, Lauren and Tally, you're in charge of beer- and lots of it. Lane and I will cover chocolate and pretzels and Mom and Sookie will take alternative forms of alcohol. Meet back here in five minutes, go!"

The group hurried into the store and started running up and down the aisles with their baskets, screaming and giggling while Taylor chased them around threatening to remove them from the premises. When they tumbled outside with their bags exactly five minutes later, Lorelai called them all back to attention, read off the list and then announced their first activity.

"Our dear friend Lane is about to get married," she explained. "And it is our job to give her one night and one headache that she will never forget!"

"Hear, hear!" Lane agreed.

"Our first stop, is the Black, White and Read Bookstore, where we will sneak in our various treats and enjoy tonight's feature, _American Gigolo_."

"Featuring a little full frontal from Mr. Gere himself," Sookie added.

"All right, let's go to the movies!"

As the group started to depart, Kyon came dashing up the street.

"Wait for me!" She called after them, causing Rory and Lane to hang back a few steps.

"Sorry I'm late," she huffed. "I had to wait for the two Mrs. Kims to fall asleep before I can climb down the tree to meet you. Luckily all that bowing makes them sleep like dogs."

"It's okay, Kyon," Rory assured her. "We were just leaving."

Kyon nodded and started to strip her sweater and skirt to reaveal an Avril Lavigne t-shirt and jeans.

"I had to get out of that house. Stinks of Kimchi and incense. You can't breath, and there's Buddhas everywhere staring at you. What?" She asked, noticing Lane and Rory staring at her.

"When did you start double dressing?" Lane demanded. "And Avril Lavigne?!"

"Avril Lavigne rocks!" Kyon argued. "You're such a snob. If it's not Joy Division, you no like it. Well, you can't dance to Joy Division."

"She's crazy!" Lane half laughed as the girl went to join the group. "My whole family's crazy!"

"Well, welcome to the club," Rory said, looking at her phone. "We'll get sweatshirts."

"Secret admirer?" Lorelai asked, joining them and looking over Rory's shoulder.

"It's Dad," her daughter huffed. "He gave me this thing as a gift, you know. However, he also got himself one, and since then he has been texting me every five minutes. It's insane! You should have told him 'no' when he ran this past you."

"I think it's nice," Lorelai shrugged. "You have a real daddy/daughter thing going on."

"Oh, yeah," Rory rolled her eyes. "He's shopping for celery at the supermarket. They're running a special."

"He's just excited," Lorelai laughed.

"Yeah, well, now he's in the canned peas aisle. Apparently he doesn't like peas, but he does like pea soup. Interesting, no? No!"

"All right, give me that." Lorelai took pity on her daughter and snatched the device from her hands. "Your daughter is about to see Richard Gere's penis, enjoy your celery. That should shut him up for a while."

She sent the message and handed the phone back, then saw that Lauren was already throwing up.

"That's gotta be some kind of record," she cringed. "Think I should go mother her?"

"She'll be fine," Rory shrugged. "Come on."

They hurried across the square to the bookstore, excited to get comfy and enjoy the movie, but were disappointed to find out that the time had been printed wrong in the paper and the movie had already started.

"We could just go in," Rory offered.

"Too risky!" Lorelai shook her head. "No way to know if we missed the money shot."

"And American Gigolo, without the gigo-down-low is pointless," Sookie agreed.

"So what do we do?" Lane asked, deferring to the party planners.

"Well, we can kill some time till the next showing," Lorelai shrugged. "It's only 45 minutes."

"So where should we go?"

"We could get some coffee," Lorelai shrugged.

"Partay," Kyon scoffed.

"Well, maybe we could play a game," Sookie offered. "I do that with the kids and time flies."

"I don't think Peek-a-boo's gonna fly, Sook."

"Well, we could make it more adult."

"Hey!" As they argued about how to spend their time, Zach and the guys came around the corner.

"Hey!" The girls smiled back.

"Didn't expect to see you guys here," Zach observed.

"Well we were going to go see American Gigolo, but we missed it," Lane explained.

"I swear I checked the time!" Sookie defended herself.

"No one's doubting you," Rory promised.

"What are you guys doing?" Lane turned back to her fiancee.

"We just came from Dell's bar," Gil chimed in. "It closed early 'cause it's Dell's wedding anniversary today."

"Dell's is closed?" Lorelai frowned. "Shoot! That's where we were going next."

"We could go to the Chimney Sweep," Rory offered.

"No, it burned down last week," Sookie shook her head.

"That's ironic."

"We could go drive over to Beacon Falls," Gil suggested. "Anything open there?"

"No," Lorelai frowned.

"We could go to my aunt's house," Brian offered. "She's got a rec room with a record player."

"No way, that's completely lame," Zach vetoed. "Which one's American Gigolo? Is that the one where you see Richard Gere's johnson? Cause that seems a little weird for a bachelor party."

"No!" Lane shook her head. "We are not doing this!"

"Doing what?" Zach asked, confused by her outburst.

"We are supposed to be getting wild at separate parties!" She explained. "We cannot be bumping into each other all night long."

"Lady's right," Zach conceded. "Come on, men. Let's go find something wild to do!"

He waved at the group, who cheered in agreement and lead them away, leaving the girls to come up with a new plan.

Unfortunately, they came up short, and after much bickering and aimless wandering, they found themselves huddled on Brian's aunt's porch.

"Five more seconds," Lorelai delayed, desperately trying to come up with another idea. "Anything?"

There was a communal shrug, and they turned and rang the doorbell.

"You must be Lane," an older woman Lane recognized from a couple of their gigs smiled at them. "The boys are downstairs, come on in."

So taking their treats and alcohol they trooped into the basement to make their bachelorette party a good old fashioned Stag and Doe.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 40**

Thankfully the night wasn't a complete wash-out. They did plenty of partying and woke up the next morning with respectable hangovers, prompting Rory to call Jess and have him pick up tacos on his way in.

"Do you know how hard it was to find a taco place that was open at nine in the morning?" He demanded when he got there, letting himself into the house.

"Why do you think we made you do it?" Lorelai grabbed the bags from him and started rummaging around for her burrito.

"Thank you," Rory smiled groggily. "You're a God send!"

"Tell your mom that," Jess suggested.

"Eh, you're okay," Lorelai shrugged. "The burrito definitely wins you some extra points."

"Great."

"Where's your suit?" Rory asked.

"I was supposed to have a suit?" He pretended to be shocked. "I thought this was a biker wedding? Everyone wears leather jackets and boots, Lane rocks the green hair extensions."

"You're not funny," Rory frowned.

"I'm hysterical," he kissed her. "It's in the car."

"Good." Rory took her own bag of food and went to refill her coffee cup.

"So, should I be worried that the cops are going to be putting out a warrant for your arrest after all the partying you did last night?" Jess followed her.

"No, we partied in Brian's aunt's basement."

"Excuse me?" Jess frowned.

"The party got a little derailed," Lorelai frowned. "Therefore, we missed out on the whole public intoxication portion of the evening."

"The private intoxication portion, however..."

"Yeah, alive and well," Lorelai agreed. "We knocked that one out of the park."

"I can tell," Jess nodded at the table of hangover remedies. "What's with the frozen peas?"

"I had a headache," Rory explained, then when she saw that he was still confused, she put her head down on the bag in demonstration.

"Okay then," he nodded. "Shouldn't you be helping Lane get ready?"

"No, her mom's helping her. I'm giving them their privacy."

"That's mean," Lorelai frowned.

"Some children get along with their parents," Rory pointed out. "If you hadn't noticed, we seem to do a pretty good job of not killing each other."

"Yes, but that's because we're delightful. Mrs Kim..." She grimaced, making Jess laugh.

"Whatever," Rory shook her head. "I'm going to go shower."

Two hours later, Rory and Jess sat on the couch waiting for Lorelai to finish getting dressed while Rory texted with her father.

"Dad's feet are two different sizes," she announced to her mother as she came down the stairs.

"Oh for the love of-" Lorelai rolled her eyes and held up two purses. "Which one of these says, 'Hi, I'm not a whore. Enjoy your day'?"

"The pink one."

"What?!" Jess demanded.

"Don't ask," Lorelai grimaced then ran to answer the phone, which had started to ring.

"Do not talk!" Rory ordered. "We're going to be late."

"I talk fast. It's my gift. Hello?"

Rory glared at her mother, then frowned as the conversation seemed to take a turn.

"Michel, you have to go," her mother was saying. "I need an escort... I am not single, I'm engaged... Michel... Michel!"

She hung up the phone and groaned.

"Michel is going to the Celine Dion concert."

"Bummer," Rory noted as Jess asked, "Why?"

"What am I supposed to do now?" Lorelai demanded. "Mrs. Kim made it very clear not to show up without a guy. This is ridiculous! Even when I have a man, I'm still the girl who doesn't have a man. This sucks! I've known Lane since she was a little kid. She spent more time here than she did at home, and now I'm going to miss her wedding! Fracking Celine Dion!"

She let out a strangled scream of frustration, throwing herself into a chair dramatically.

"You want me to see if dad can go with you?" Rory offered. "I've got him right here. He's turning left on main, and he found a buffalo-head nickel in his glove compartment."

"I'm sure he's busy," Lorelai shook her head.

"He just left the hardware store, and now he's sitting on the side of the road trying to decide how many tacos he wants," Rory scoffed. "Busy is not the word I would use to describe him today."

"Okay, but the wedding is in 45 minutes."

"He can be here in 20."

"Seriously?" Lorelai thought about it for a minute, then sighed in defeat. "Alright."

"T.P.T.D.I," Rory announced.

"What?"

"Totally psyched to do it."

"He's making up his own acronyms?" Lorelai giggled, seeing how unimpressed her daughter was.

"What can I say, kid? He was really hot in high school."

Rory rolled her eyes and got to her feet, pulling on her shoes.

"Alright, let's go. Dad will meet you there," she announced.

They trekked into town and headed for Kim's Antiques, much to Lorelai's surprise, where Rory went inside to check on Lane while Jess skulked around with Lorelai.

"You know you can go in," she pointed out. "You know Zach and Brian."

"I'm okay," he shrugged.

"You know they don't all hate you anymore, right?"

"Sorry?"

"The town," Lorelai explained. "I mean, they're not exactly getting warm and fuzzy feelings about you, don't get me wrong, but they don't hate you. They see how happy you make her, and they like that."

"Okay," Jess nodded awkwardly.

"I just thought you should know."

"Thanks."

They stood in awkward silence for another minute before Chris came running over.

"Hey!" Lorelai beamed and kissed his cheek.

"Sorry I'm late," Chris apologized. "Hey, Jess. Do I look okay? This was the jacket I had in my car."

"You look great," Lorelai assured him, pulling him towards the building. "Let's go."

She pulled him into the building, stopping to say hello to Mrs Kim.

"Hi, I'd like you to meet Christopher Hayden," she introduced them. "He's Rory's father, and a man."

"Did that really need clarification?" Christopher asked.

"She instructed me to bring a man today," Lorelai explained. "I just wanted to prove that I can take direction well. You never know who knows Spielberg."

"I'm pretty sure Mrs. Kim doesn't," Jess pointed out.

"Shouldn't you be looking for your girlfriend?" Lorelai asked him.

"Why did you have to bring a man?" Christopher asked.

"Because an unmarried woman, alone, of a certain age, dressed the way I dress is apparently Korean for Jenna Jameson."

"Where's Luke?"

"Out of town with his kid," Lorelai frowned.

"Lucky me. I always wanted to meet Jenna Jameson."

"There they are!" Rory joined them, kissing Jess on the cheek and hugging her dad.

"Yes, all nice and proper."

"This is very impressive," Christopher observed, looking around the room.

"It's a Buddhist wedding," Rory explained.

"Is the Dalai Lama coming?"

"Yes, he's having the chicken," Lorelai joked.

"It must be starting," Rory said as everyone started taking their seats. "You guys can stand over there."

She kissed Jess one more time, then hurried to her spot beside Kyon at the front of the room.

The ceremony started off nice enough, with Lane and Zach standing at the front in their beautiful robes, the Minister speaking in Korean so that only half the people in attendance could understand. Things started going off the rails, however, when Mrs. Kim's mother started whispering angrily, then left the room followed by her daughter.

In the next room over, they started to yell at each other, prompting the minister to yell as well, and making Rory and Kyon exchange worried glances.

No sooner had the ceremony been completed that the elder Mrs. Kim got in a taxi and headed for the airport, while all the guests started sprinting for the church.

"Why aren't you running?" Rory demanded, finding her parents standing on the porch in confusion.

"Why should we be?"

"To get to the church," Rory explained.

"For what?" Lorelai asked.

"For the wedding."

"I thought _this_ was the wedding!" Christopher cried.

"That was the grandmother's wedding. Now we do the mother's wedding," Rory explained.

"But why do we have to run?" Lorelai demanded.

"58 seats. 62 Koreans."

"Oh boy!" Lorelai grabbed Christopher's hand and started sprinting for the church, leaving Rory to go back inside and help Lane change into her second wedding dress.

"Everyone gone?" Lane asked.

"Yep, they're all making a run for the church. You ready?"

"I just need to get this make-up off," Lane frowned in the mirror. "Honestly, it's like my mother used industrial strength glue to put it on!"

"Do you want me to take the dress over?" Rory offered, looking around for the garment bag.

"My mom took it last night," Lane shook her head. "Can you get this giant knitting needle out of my hair though?"

"At your service."

By the time they had gotten her hair and make-up redone, it was almost time for the second ceremony to start, so the girls hurried across the square to the church so Lane could change into her dress.

"God, look at me!" Lane smiled brightly at her reflection in the full length mirror that had been moved into the dressing room. "I look like a bride."

"You are a bride," Rory giggled.

"I feel so weird."

"I want a picture," Rory rummaged through her bag for her camera.

"Of me feeling weird?" Lane laughed.

"No, of me standing next to you while you feel weird." She set the camera on the table then linked arms with her friend and smiled.

"Everything alright?" Mrs. Kim asked, sticking her head into the room.

"Yeah," Rory nodded. "Everything's fine, Mrs. Kim."

"The dress looks different," she frowned, entering the room.

"Really?" Lane brushed it off. "Everything looks different through the eyes of a bride."

"Rory, can you excuse us a moment?"

"Sure," Rory nodded and looked at Lane nervously. "I'll be right outside."

She stood outside the door, shifting around nervously, hoping that Mrs. Kim wasn't going to start yelling about the dress or her make-up. But all was quiet, and when Mrs. Kim left the room a few minutes later to take her seat, Rory found Lane sitting in the room laughing like she had just walked out of a scene in Girl, Interrupted.

"Everything okay?" She asked, not sure if her friend had finally cracked under all the wedding stress.

"My mother just tried to give me the talk," Lane laughed. "And I don't think there has ever been a more awkward conversation in the history of humanity."

Rory started to laugh as well, more at Lane than at the thought of Mrs. Kim talking to anyone about sex.

"And?"

"And she still couldn't do it!" Lane cried. "If I weren't so educated in the sinful ways of the world, I would be so screwed right now."

"Thank God for Lorelai Gilmore," Rory smiled. "Want me to bring her back here for a real talk? I'm sure she could fill in the fuzzier details."

"I'm good," Lane wiped at her eyes and grinned. "How do I look?"

"Very Bridal," Rory assured her. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

They linked arms and headed outside to make their big entrance, Kirk handing over their flowers as they approached.

"Any last minute plans to make a run for it?" Rory asked, just before the doors opened.

Lane shook her head, still smiling.

"Alright, see you up there!"

"Don't trip!"

Rory glared at her friend, before heading down the aisle, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and trying not to think about all the people that were staring at her. The only person she looked at was Jess, who had snagged a seat near the front of the church and was smiling lovingly at her, as if picturing her in the white dress, instead of Lane.

The second ceremony was far nicer than the first, devoid of any yelling or unplanned family departures, but Rory spent almost the entire thing looking at Jess. She couldn't help but think that maybe the next wedding would be theirs, and judging by the look on her mother's face, she wasn't the only one thinking it. When the ceremony was over, they all poured outside, heading for the town square where the reception would take place. While Lane greeted all her mother's friends and thanked them for coming, Rory went in search of her own family. She found Jess lurking around the back of the church, presumably waiting for her.

"You look like you're about to do something shady," she observed. "You got illegal substances that you're not sharing."

"Guilty," he passed her a flask that he had hidden in his blazer pocket.

"Smooth," she cringed as she took a sip. "What is that?"

"I have no idea," he shrugged. "I stole it from Matt."

"Okay, well how about we wait for the bar to open and get some real drinks."

"Works for me," he took her hand and lead her around the building to where her parents were discussing the lack of a bar.

"Don't say that so loud," Rory scolded, making sure none of Mrs. Kim's friends had heard them.

"What, no! No way, no bar?" Lorelai demanded. "You're kidding."

"Mom," Rory frowned.

"They don't have to drink it!"

As they argued, there was a loud clatter of trays hitting the tables behind them and people lining up for food.

"Well, if we can't drink we might as well get some food," Lorelai huffed.

"That food is not for you," Rory shook her head.

"Is this the 'not married' thing again?" Lorelai demanded. "Did you tell them I'm engaged!? Engaged has got to be worth a sparerib."

"What the hell are they doing?" Jackson asked, watching the hurried procession in front of them. Each guest was collecting a take-out container of food, giving Lane a gift and then hurrying to their cars.

The group watched in awe as the square quickly cleared out, leaving only Lane and Zach's guests, who were all standing around in different states of confusion.

During this ordeal, Zach had somehow slipped away and put his Buddhist Wedding robe back on, explaining that it was the most comfortable thing he had ever worn.

"No heckling," Rory ordered her boyfriend and parents.

"But-"

"No!" She glared at them all. "This is his wedding day. We will not be mean to Zach."

"Fine," Lorelai and Christopher hung their heads sadly and skulked away.

"Jess?" Rory crossed her arms and waited.

"I'm gonna need some sort of compensation," he warned her. "Because if he wears that thing all night, it's going to take a lot of effort to keep quiet."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Rory promised.

"Then deal," he kissed her soundly.

Once Mrs. Kim had gone, the party got into full swing. While guests mingled, Kirk's latest business endeavour put together the bar and tables, transforming the town square into just the kind of rock n' roll wedding venue Jess would have expected for Lane.

"Kirk just asked me if I thought the bartender was yummy enough," Rory announced when she returned to the table a few hours in, carrying drinks for the table.

"And?" Lorelai looked over her shoulder.

"I assured him that he was acceptable."

"Really?" Jess turned and raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, Rory!" Lorelai jumped in, eyes wide. "Your father has something he'd like to tell you."

She elbowed Christopher, who looked down at the table and nodded.

"Yes, I'd just like to apologize for my Sidekick stalking," he mumbled. "I've realized that I have a problem."

"Which is the first step to recovery," Lorelai nodded. "The second step is that now he's giving it to me!"

"No!" Rory cried. "That's worse!"

"Hi, Rory. What are you doing? What are you wearing? What are you thinking? What about now? Do you miss me? Do you think I'm pretty? Where do babies come from?" Lorelai mimed texting, an evil grin on her face.

"Thanks alot," Rory grimaced at her father.

"Hi!" Lane and Zach joined them, both beaming and obviously a little tipsy.

"Hey! Dinner was great!" Rory smiled up at them.

"Kudos on the hot dogs," Jackson offered.

"Zach's idea," Lane beamed.

"Lane came up with the fries, though," Zach offered.

"Wow, you really are perfect for each other," Lorelai smiled.

"You having fun?" Sookie asked.

"Yes," Lane laughed, then stumbled. "Maybe a little too much."

"We actually thought we should make the rounds before we're too toasted to remember who you are," Zach explained, then noticed Christopher. "Who are you?"

"Zach this is my dad, Christopher," Rory laughed. "This is Zach."

"Congratulations," Christ nodded. "Nice weddings."

"Thanks dude."

"Hey, I want a picture of everyone with Lane and Zach," Roy announced, jumping up.

"Oh, God, I hate the paparazzi," Lorelai complained and hid her face.

"Get in the picture and say 'Cheese'," Rory ordered.

"Let me see the picture," Lorelai demanded once her daughter had sat back down and Lane and Zach had disappeared to another table.

"No, you'll delete it."

"Not if it's good," Lorelai argued.

"You erase every picture I take of you."

"No, only the ones where I look like Rhoda."

"You never look like Rhoda," Rory shook her head.

"I occasionally look like Rhoda," Lorelai insisted. "Let me see!"

"No," Rory held tightly to her camera.

"Hey," Lorelai looked around her daughter at Jess. "You hold her down and I'll grab it."

"Forget it," Jess shook his head. "She bites."

"Ugh! Things the mother doesn't need to know!" Lorelai cringed.

"Don't be gross," Rory scolded.

"He started it!"

"Am I the only adult here?"

"Hey, they have ice cubes in all different shapes!" Chris announced, coming back with a drink.

"Apparently," Rory mumbled, making her mother laugh.

"Give me the camera!" Lorelai cried again.

"Fine!" Rory finally relented and started to show her mother the pictures she had taken.

"Geez, got enough photos?"

"I like proof," Rory shrugged.

"Hey, go back," Lorelai stopped her. "What's that?"

"Oh," Rory flipped back to a picture of herself and April.

"When did you take a picture with April?"

"At the open house," Rory explained. "I was taking pictures of everything else and we just sort of ended up taking one too."

"Right," Lorelai nodded, obviously unhappy about the situation.

"Are you okay?" Rory asked.

"I'm fine." She knocked back the last mouthful of the Manhattan Rory had brought her and got to her feet. "I'm going to get another drink, you want one?"

"I'm fine," Rory shook her head.

"Was it just me, or was that weird?" Jess asked once she was gone.

"It wasn't you," Rory shook her head, then turned to listen while Zach announced the reunion of Hep Alien.

While the band played, Lorelai filtered her way through another handful of drinks, interspersed with a couple dances. By the time the speeches were coming up, she was more than tipsy, and then came Kirk's decision to fire all his bartenders, making it into a serve yourself situation.

When Lorelai announced that she was getting yet another drink, Jess saw the worried look on Rory's face and followed her, leaving Rory alone with her father.

"I tell you," Christopher looked around. "If you have to get married, this is the way to do it."

" _Have_ to get married?" Rory asked. "My, so jaded and cynical."

"Well, we can't all be cool like Zach," Chris shrugged.

"I think they're really happy," Rory smiled, looking over at the newlyweds.

"Good, that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm glad I came to this thing."

"Me too," Rory smiled.

"Hey, so while we're on the subject of weddings and happiness," Chris tried to segue. "I just wanted to let you know that I like Jess."

"Me too," Rory nodded awkwardly.

"Well, yeah," Chris shrugged. "I just wanted to say that _I_ do. I like him, and I like you, and I like you and him together. He seems like a good guy."

"He is," Rory agreed.

"I just want you to know that I approve."

"Dad, it's not like we're getting married," Rory frowned. "We've only been dating for a few months."

"But if that changes," Chris shrugged. "I just want you to know..."

"That you approve," Rory nodded.

"Yes," Chris laughed awkwardly. "You know, it's been a while since I've partied like this. I used to be better at it."

"I'm sure Zach would be happy to give you some tips," Rory offered.

"Hey," Jess rejoined them as Brian took control of the microphone. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing," Rory shook her head quickly. She had absolutely no plans of telling Jess about the conversation she had just had with her father. "I have to go give my toast."

She got up and hurried to the side of the stage, leaving Jess alone with her parents. She was almost out of ear shot when she saw her mother return to the table with a tray and announce: "We're doing shots!"

Rory decided to ignore this announcement for a moment and focus on her toast.

"Hi everyone," she smiled at the crowd. "I'm Rory Gilmore, the maid of honour."

From her table, Rory heard a loud echo of cheers, followed by her mother calling, 'To Rory!' before downing another tequila shot.

"I'm not one for speeches, and I don't have any incriminating pictures of Lane, but I do have this letter." She held up the paper and waited for the 'Oohs' to die down. "This letter was written in 1995 by one Lane Kim, it was slipped into my hand during a spelling test and I was so shocked by it's contents that I misspelled the word automobile."

She unfolded the paper and began to read it contents, which proclaimed Lane's undying love for a boy in their class named Alex Baccus.

"I'm sorry Lane," she said once she had finished reading. "I just thought that Zach should know that he will always be second to Alex Baccus. But the bottom line is, I love you, Lane. Congratulations! To the Bride and Groom!" She raised her glass in salute and went to give Lane a hug, bumping into her mother as they passed each other on the stairs. Before she could register what was about to happen, Lorelai had drunk-stumbled up to the stage and taken control of the microphone.

"Hello. Everybody, hello," she got the crowd's attention. "Some of you know me as Lorelai Gilmore, and some of you know me as Cher. But either way, I wanted to say a few words about our girl."

Rory sat down beside Lane nervously, looking back at her father and boyfriend, both of whom seemed just as nervous as she was.

"I have known Lane since forever," Lorelai continued. "And I'm just so incredibly happy that she's gotten married. I mean, I am just so happy that this adorable 22-year-old has gotten married, because it's amazing, you know? It's really hard to get married, I should know."

The longer her mother's ramblings went on, the more concerned Rory became, not for the party, but for her mother's state of mind. The more she babbled, the crazier she sounded and Rory knew that this was because of how upset she really was about her missing wedding. When she started talking about June 3rd, Christopher came up behind Rory and motioned for her to follow, heading for the stage, finally intercepting the toast once she had moved on to telling everyone how much she missed the bartenders.

"Oh, hi!" She smiled drunkenly at them. "Hi Chris."

"Hey, how about we go over here?" Chris put an arm around her and started pulling her off the stage, Rory following close behind.

"Let's get you some coffee," she suggested, then turned around to see that Jess was already on it.

"Extra strong," he assured her.

"Thanks," Rory sighed and handed the mug to her mother. "Here, drink this."

"I'm fine," Lorelai waved her off.

"Drink it," Rory ordered.

"Fine, Mom!" Lorelai said sarcastically, making an awkward face at her daughter. "Party pooper."

"You could stand to do a little less partying," Chris assured her.

"Pfft!" Lorelai took the coffee mug that Rory was still holding, downed it in less than two gulps and then hurried off to talk to Sookie.

"Watch her like a hawk," Rory ordered her father, then headed back to the table to apologize to Lane.

"It's fine!" Lane assured her. "Every party needs a drunk relative, and she's practically my second mother."

"I know, but-"

"But nothing," Lane shook her head. "She's just sad."

"You are way too good a person," Rory shook her head at her friend.

"Ha! Do me a favour and tell my mother that."

"I will," Rory laughed, then looked over and saw her mother. "Oh, God!"

Lorelai had spotted the videographer, and was now dancing and strutting around in front of him, as well as a bunch of Zach's friends, all of whom had their camera phones out. Rory hurried over and joined her father in an attempt to get her to stop, but the woman was on a mission.

"Mom! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to be America's Next Top Model," she explained. "So I need the perfect audition tape, now you need to move because you're in my shot."

"Lor," Chris tried to get hold of her again. "Come on, let's have some more coffee."

"In a minute," she shrugged him off and started gyrating to what Rory could only assume was the music in her head, since the song the DJ was playing resembled a waltz more than the Beyonce song Lorelai seemed to be moving to.

"Go get coffee," Chris turned to her. "I'll try and distract her with something else."

On her way to the bar, Rory passed Sookie, who was hurrying over to help get her mom under control. Unfortunately she was just as unsuccessful as the rest of them, and they were forced to simply wait the audition out once Lorelai started yelling "I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to win!" every time one of them tried to reason with her.

Rory hoped that once they got her away from the camera, they would be able to get her home, but her hopes were dashed when Lorelai tried to start a limbo contest with Zach's great uncle's cane. By some sort of miracle, Jackson and Christopher caught the elderly man in time and helped him to a chair while Rory retrieved his cane with Sookie's help. From there Lorelai attempted to start a poker game, but when she couldn't find a deck of cards, moved on to starting a Secret Club.

"It's for Super Cool Part People only," she was explained to one of the tables. "No losers allowed! Anyone want to join? We're going to have a secret handshake and everything!"

Much to Rory's chagrin, a few people took her up on the offer, prompting a hostile takeover of one of the tables for their secret hide-out.

Throughout each of these endeavours, Rory made sure there was a steady stream of coffee being forced down her mother's throat. Unfortunately, this only seemed to make her a more energetic drunk and did nothing to sober her up.

It was after midnight when Chris and Rory were finally able to get her under control, Chris scooping her up after she had declared herself Arm Wrestling Champion of the World and then fallen over a chair. As they left, she continued to call good-byes to everyone she saw, waving wildly and chanting, "Super Cool Party People bid you Super Cool adieu!"

They were halfway home when she passed out, causing Rory to walk beside her father and hold her head so that she didn't hurt her neck.

"I'm sorry about this," Rory sighed.

"Don't worry about it, Kid," Chris laughed. "Your mom was quite the talented partier in her day, this isn't my first time."

"Apparently she still is," Jess observed, earning a glare from Rory. "Okay, so maybe she's a little rusty."

Rory ignored him and opened the front door, directing her father to the couch.

"Prop her up, I'm going to make some coffee."

"If the two gallons she's had so far didn't help, I don't know what you think another pot will do," Chris pointed out.

"Nobody knows how to wrangle the full potential of the coffee bean like a Gilmore," Rory countered. "Just prop her up. She hates gettting pillow face."

"Sure," Chris nodded. "Who wouldn't."

With some effort, he got the inebriated Gilmore girl into a raised reclining position, then went to check on his daughter.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Fine," Rory shrugged. "This isn't my first rodeo either."

"Was she like this a lot?" Chris asked, suddenly concerned.

"No, not her," Rory shook her head. "Logan. And all his friends. Most nights ended with me having to herd them to the car and buckle their seat belts for them. This is nothing compared to that."

From the corner of her eye, she could see Jess frowning. She knew that he hated hearing about the time she had spent with Logan, not because he was jealous or anything like that, but because he hated seeing how sad it made her and thinking about the girl he had stumbled upon in October. Dealing with Logan and his friends had broken her, and now she was doing it all over again.

"Well, at least you've got practice," Chris nodded. "Will you be okay here? I should really get back to Gigi."

"Yeah, I'll get her upstairs and into bed," Rory nodded.

"Are you sure? Because I can stay."

"I'm sure," Rory promised. "Jess and I can handle things here. Go home to Gigi."

"Okay," Chris nodded and hugged her. "I'll talk to you later. Bye, Jess."

Jess gave a short wave, then disappeared into Rory's room to change. Rory finished the pot of coffee she was making, grabbed the biggest mug she could find and took it in to her mother.

"Okay, Mom," she sat down beside her and helped her up. "One more cup of coffee and then we're getting you to bed."

"I don't want to go to bed," she mumbled like a five year old.

"Well, too bad," Rory shrugged. "Drink your coffee."

With more effort than should have been necessary, Lorelai pulled herself into a sitting position and sipped from the mug Rory handed her.

"Can you stay vertical while I get changed?" Rory asked.

Lorelai nodded, though her Raggedy Anne-like movements did nothing to increase Rory's confidence.

"I'll be right back," she promised.

Another loose nod, then Lorelai slumped against the back of the couch and closed her eyes.

"She awake?" Jess asked when she came into the room.

"And drinking one more cup of coffee before we take her upstairs."

" _We_?" Jess raised an eyebrow.

"You think I'm getting that upstairs by myself?" Rory asked.

"Anything is possible if you just believe."

"Nice try," she snorted and pulled a Metallica t-shirt on over a pair of sweatpants. "Come on."

Lorelai had finished her coffee and fallen back into the couch cushions so awkwardly that Rory questioned whether or not she could actually breath.

"Okay, Calamity Jane," she rolled her over and started pulling on her arms. "Let's go. Up!"

"No," Lorelai groaned.

"You can't sleep on the couch," Rory sighed in annoyance. "Get up."

Between herself and Jess they got her on her feet, then with Rory's help she climbed the stairs.

"One foot in front of the other," Rory encouraged. "Left, right, left, right."

Jess followed behind them, ready to catch either one of them if they fell. Thankfully, they got upstairs without any further incident and Rory got her mother into bed.

She considered sleeping upstairs with her, but Jess convinced her that she would be fine on her own.

"She's not that drunk," he promised. "Trust me."

"Fine," Rory sighed. "Let's go to bed. I'm exhausted."


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

Lorelai left the house before they got up the next morning, avoiding the walk of shame and planning to ween her hangover at the Inn. She left a note for Rory, telling her that she had gone to work and would call her later.

"How on earth did she get up before us?" Jess demanded as they ate breakfast. "She must have the worst hangover ever!"

"She's a medical marvel," Rory shrugged. "The more hungover she is, the quicker she can pull herself together. I think it's a single mom thing."

"I don't think so," Jess shook his head. "If it was, my childhood wouldn't have been so shitty. It's more of a Lorelai Gilmore- freak of nature- thing."

It was a rare thing for Jess to mention his childhood, and Rory had learned to just let it slide. When she asked questions, he started to clam up again. It was just easier to let him drop tidbits of information every once in a while and wait for him to give her the whole story. So instead of apologizing for her inconsiderate joke, she just shrugged and took another sip of her coffee.

"So, are you heading back to school today?" Jess asked, appreciating her silence.

"I think so. You gonna come back with me for the night?"

"I was thinking about it. Although the thought of staying in the same building as Paris is a little nerve wracking."

"I thought you were all tough and hardcore," Rory shook her head in fake disgust. "And now what? You're scared of some girl?"

"Ha! Anybody with a pulse and any sort of common sense should be scared of that woman!"

"Just admit it, you're a scaredy-cat."

"No," Jess shook his head. "I just have a healthy fear of waking up to someone holding a knife to my throat."

"That's never happened."

"Yet," he scoffed.

"I promise to protect you from the big scary girl," Rory said, using the same voice her mother used when speaking to the dog. "We'll even barricade the door if you want."

"You mock me, but we both know that having a healthy fear of Paris Geller is an important survival mechanism."

"You're such a drama queen," Rory laughed. "Besides, Paris likes you."

"Since when?"

"Since always. I mean, she doesn't exactly know how to express her emotions, but she _does_ like you. She thinks you're smart."

"I _am_ smart," Jess pointed out.

"You have your moments."

"Ouch! Is this your way of getting me to go home with you, because it sucks!"

"It hasn't failed me yet," she shrugged. "I'm going to pack up my stuff and get dressed."

She called her mom on the drive back to New Haven, after stopping at Luke's for coffee and discovering that neither she or Luke were there.

"How's the hangover?"

"Fantastic," Lorelai grumbled.

"How did Luke take it?"

"He was a little sad that nobody filmed my performance of Endless Love."

"What?" Rory frowned, then realized what her mother was saying. "Ahh, Miss Patty?"

"Yep, God love her."

"Amen," Rory agreed. "So, where are you?"

"I dragged Luke shopping with me, since he left me dateless last night and is therefore to blame for the incredible pain and nausea I am now dealing with."

"You only have yourself to blame!" Luke called in the background.

"And ten shots of tequila," Rory added.

"Nobody asked you," Lorelai said peevishly. "Anyways, where are you?"

"Driving back to school, I have some work I have to do tonight."

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you at Friday Night Dinner, then."

"Yep."

"Okay, drive safe hon! I'll talk to you later."

"Bye," Rory hung up and pulled off the freeway to get tacos for lunch.

When she got to the apartment, Jess was leaning against his car out front waiting for her.

"Did you get lost?" He asked. "I've been waiting here for twenty minutes."

"It has not been that long!" Rory scoffed. "Geez, did you take extra drama pills this morning?"

"Did you bring me a taco?" Jess ignored the question and focused on the paper bag she was carrying.

"I did, but I'm rethinking my kindness now." She pulled the bag away as he tried to take hold of it and handed him her duffel bag. "You know you could have gone inside. Paris would have let you in."

"Yes, but I have no desire to be left alone with Paris and her creepy boyfriend."

"He's not creepy," Rory argued, then saw the look Jess was giving her. "He's not! He's just... different. It's why him and Paris are so perfect together."

"I think you all belong in an institution," Jess shook his head.

"Well then it's a good thing we go to college, isn't it?" Rory smirked at him and started unlocking the door.

"Yes, because that's what I meant."

While she was distracted by the locks, Jess took the opportunity to steal the take-out bag and fish out a taco.

"Hey!" Rory tried to kick him.

"Sharing is caring," he said, his mouth full.

"I take it back, I don't want to get you into bed," Rory frowned. "You can just go home."

"You know, if I wasn't such a good boyfriend I would take you at your word and leave right now," Jess frowned at her. "You should consider yourself lucky."

"You should consider yourself lucky if I let you through this door," Rory retorted.

"It's okay, Paris will let me in," Jess shrugged.

"Oh, sure! _Now_ you like her!" Rory rolled her eyes and kicked the door before throwing it open and stomping towards her room to drop her bags.

"Rory!?" Paris called from her bedroom. "Is that you?!"

"Who else would it be, Paris?" Rory asked, approaching the door. "I'm the only other person with a- Gah! What the hell are you doing?!"

The door flew open to reveal Paris standing there in what Rory could only assume was some sort of bungy chord.

"I'm trying to surprise Doyle, but I can't figure out- why is he here!?" Paris demanded, quickly ducking behind the door when she saw Jess standing in the kitchen.

"Paris!" Rory huffed and stepped into the room, slamming the door behind her. "Why?"

"I wanted to surprise him."

"With what!?" Rory demanded. "You look like you're about to strap yourself to a truck bed. God, could you please put on a robe or a blanket or something?"

"This is the human body," Paris argued, but wrapped herself in a blanket. "It's nothing to be scared of. We have all the same parts."

"I'm not scared, Paris, I just really don't need to see you naked. We are not the kind of friends that walk around naked!"

"Why not?" Paris demanded. "We're roommates. Isn't that what roommates do?"

"Yes, slutty ones that have a new guy every night," Rory agreed. "The ones I had to hang out with while I was dating Logan. We have pride and self respect. Which brings me to my next question, what are you wearing, and why?"

"It's supposed to be sexy," Paris shrugged. "I felt bad for kicking Doyle out and being so terrible to him for the last few months, so I wanted to do something special."

"Okay, just so we're clear, you and I are totally fine after our fight and you don't need to do anything for me," Rory frowned.

"Not everything is about you, Rory! The lady at the store said that this was as sexy as it got, and she seemed like the kind of person who would know."

"Paris," Rory sighed. "This is not sexy, this is sexist objectification of the female body invented by a man with a very sick mind that is probably egged on by the girls he keeps lost in his basement. And besides, if you can't figure out how to get this on, how do you think Doyle's going to react to it, because I think he's just going to be confused and a little scared."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because it's how I'm feeling, and I'm not the one who has to sleep with you," Rory crossed her arms. "Doyle isn't going to care whether you look like Bondage Barbie, Paris. He loves you. And you can't tell me you're comfortable with this."

"I was feeling pretty awkward," Paris admitted, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

"Exactly, and if you're feeling uncomfortable, Doyle is going to be uncomfortable and the sex is going to suck, trust me."

"Well then how am I supposed to make this special?" Paris demanded. "I'm not good at this stuff! I mean, sure, I'm good in bed-"

"I don't need to know that," Rory muttered.

"I might even be great, Asher thought I was great."

"Oh, God!" Rory cringed.

"But I'm not sexy, you know?" She looked at Rory pleadingly. "I'm not like those girls with the huge boobs and the tight asses that look great in stupid stuff like this and know how to talk dirty and crap."

"And Doyle knows that," Rory pointed out. "He's not expecting a Playboy Bunny, Paris, he just wants you. And if that wasn't true, he wouldn't be here."

"I guess," Paris sighed.

"Why don't you just put on some nice lingerie and a fancy dress, go out for a nice dinner and get a hotel room for the night?"

"I guess we could do that," Paris shrugged. "I don't really have anything nice though."

"Look, I just bought a new set the other week and I haven't even taken the tags off. It's yours."

"Really?" Paris asked. "You would do that?"

"Of course I would."

"But what about Jess?"

"Jess stole my tacos, he's not getting anything special anytime soon," Rory assured her. "Wait here, I'll go grab it."

"Thanks," Paris smiled at her. "You're a really good friend."

"So are you," Rory smiled back. "But please, for the love of God, don't try to prove how much you appreciate me."

"Oh, please!" Paris scoffed. "Don't be so full of yourself."

"Need I remind you that you _have_ kissed me?" Rory crossed her arms.

"I was drunk," Paris argued. "It was spring break and Madelyn and Louise told me to."

"Whatever," Rory laughed. "I'll be right back."

She slipped out of the room and slumped against the door for a second, trying to remember why she had moved into this apartment in the first place. She found Jess sitting on her bed reading and eating her tacos, but he stopped when she walked in.

"Did I see what I think I saw?" He asked, looking slightly terrified.

"Yes, yes you did," Rory nodded. "But take comfort in the fact that I had to see it up close."

She hurried to her dresser and started digging around for the underwear she had been planning on surprising Jess with that night.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving Paris some lingerie I just bought. I'll be back in a minute."

With a look of determination on her face, Rory went back across the hall to help Paris get out of whatever it was she was wearing.

"Thanks," Paris huffed when she was finally free.

"Anytime," Rory sighed. "But from now on, I suggest avoiding taking the advice of women who work in Victoria's Secret. There is nothing wrong with regular bras and underwear."

"I completely agree," Paris laughed. "Remind me never to try something like this again."

"Consider it done."

Once Paris was dressed and ready for her night out, Rory went back to her room and flopped onto the bed, her head landing in Jess's lap.

"God! I will now be able to pinpoint the exact moment I started needing therapy," she frowned. "And I will be sending the bills to Paris."

"You are far too good a person sometimes," Jess laughed and stroked her hair.

"Don't I know it. But at least we have the apartment to ourselves tonight."

"Thank God, now I won't have to sleep with one eye open."

"You're ridiculous," Rory shook her head. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Movie and dinner?"

"Sounds perfect. Indian?"

"Not a chance," Jess shook his head.

"Come on!"

"I'm not staying here if you order Indian food," Jess stood his ground.

"Fine," Rory sulked. "What about Thai?"

"I could go for Thai," he agreed. "You pick a movie, I'll go get food?"

"Good plan. Go team!"

She jumped to her feet and headed for the door, Jess close behind her.

"Where's the closest Blockbuster?" Jess asked as she locked the door. "I'll drop you off and go for the food."

"I can walk," she shrugged. "It's literally right around the corner. Meet you back here in twenty minutes?"

"Sure."

When they regrouped, he found that Rory had gotten the sudden urge to have an 80's marathon complete with everything from 'For Keeps' to 'Gremlins'.

"How do you expect us to get through all of these?" Jess asked, looking at the pile of cases on the coffee table.

"Determination and endurance. Come on, what do you want to watch first?"

They decided to start with 'St Elmo's Fire', Rory's personal favourite.

"It was the first John Hughes-esque movie my mom ever showed me," she explained. "She said 'The Breakfast Club' was overrated, and this was what life was really like."

"See, I would have thought she'd show you 'For Keeps' first."

"She showed me that when I was a little older and could understand why she had found it so inspirational," Rory laughed. "It was the whole, going to the prom fat thing that really did it for her. She didn't go to prom, but she thought it was a solid idea."

"And you didn't spend the entire movie asking why she hadn't married your dad?"

"I don't think I could have picked my dad out of a line-up," she admitted. "He didn't visit too much after we left Hartford, he was too busy getting on with his life to care about us."

"I'm sure he still cared," Jess assured her. "He just didn't know how to show it."

Rory didn't answer, she just picked up her plate and went back to eating, knowing that he was watching her. They spent the rest of the movie in silence, Rory not wanting to talk about her dad, despite the fact that she had been the one to bring it up, and Jess not wanting to push her. They were halfway through 'For Keeps' before Rory spoke up again.

"Did you ever think your dad was coming back?" She asked, not looking away from the TV.

"No," Jess shook his head.

"Never?"

"Maybe when I was really young," Jess shrugged. "But even then, I don't think so."

"When I was little, I used to wish for Chris to come home every birthday and Christmas," Rory told him. "I mean, _really_ young. When I still believed in Santa."

"You believe in Santa now," Jess pointed out.

"Okay, but this was when I truly and deeply believed that Santa was in complete control of my life," she explained. "I thought he was the most powerful being in the world, aside from Mia and my Mom, so I figured that if anyone could bring my dad back he could."

Jess nodded along, knowing exactly what she was talking about, remembering many nights in crappy apartments where he had done the same thing.

"And then when I was about 9, I realized that I was wishing for the wrong thing. I was wishing for _my_ dad, when what I should really have been asking for was _a_ dad."

"What?" Jess frowned.

"I realized that my dad was never going to be a dad," she explained. "A father, sure. I mean, you can't deny genetics, but he was never going to come and drive me to school or take me to the library on his days off or come to see me participate in embarrassing school events. That was when we met Luke."

She smiled at the memory, her mother dragging her into the crowded diner on the way to school just after they had moved into their house and demanding that she be served before all the other customers. Rory had been mortified by her mother's antics, hiding behind her the entire time, but Luke had seemed amused- or as amused as he ever allowed himself to look.

"He's the closest thing I've got to a real dad, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Jess laughed. "He's the closest thing I've got to either parent."

"The first time I watched this movie, I was ten years old and had just had the chicken pox. Mom stayed up for days with me, making sure I didn't scratch and taking care of me, and every day Luke brought over a bowl of mashed potatoes because it was the only thing I wanted to eat. Without fail, he was at our door at six o'clock every morning with a coffee for my mom and mashed potatoes for me and I realized that that was what I had been wishing for all those years. Every birthday and Christmas, I hadn't been wishing for Christopher, I had been wishing for Luke- or at least someone like Luke. Someone who cared about me and my mom without having to, and that was Luke. He was there for all the important stuff, all the stuff that Christopher _should_ have been there for, and he wasn't there because he had to be, he was there because he wanted to be. That was what I thought about the first time I saw this movie."

"You were a very existential ten year old, weren't you?" Jess observed, making Rory laugh.

"I was always very advanced for my age."

"I bet."

There was another long silence, then Jess spoke up.

"I always wished for my mom to meet someone that was actually a good guy, instead of all the douche bags and drug dealers she usually dated," he admitted. "I never wanted my dad back though, I just knew that he'd left us, so what was the use of wanting him back, you know?"

Rory nodded, hoping that he would continue.

"I know what you mean about Luke, though. I don't know what I would have turned out like if he hadn't taken me in."

"He has that effect," Rory mused. "I guess it's a good thing we found him."

"I guess so," Jess agreed, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her into his side.

Before they knew it, they had fallen asleep, only waking up when Jess went to roll over and rolled them both off the couch and onto the floor, prompting them to move into Rory's bedroom.

They were woken the next morning by Rory's phone ringing loudly right beside their heads.

"Turn it off!" Jess groaned.

"I'm trying," Rory snapped, feeling around for the device.

"Ow!" Jess shoved her lightly as she smacked him in the face. "Do I look like a phone?"

"Hello?" Rory finally found the device under her pillow and put it to her ear, ignoring Jess's complaints.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Lorelai crowed. "How are you this morning?!"

"What time is it?"

"8:00."

"Seriously?!" She cried, looking for a clock. "Why in God's name are you calling me this early?"

"I'm still trying to metabolize all the coffee I drank over the last two days so I'm wired. Guess what?"

"You're not my real mother?"

"You wish," she laughed. "I'm helping Luke throw April a birthday party!"

"What?" Rory sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Yeah. He's finally letting me in! Her mom was really upset that I met her when they were on the trip so I went and met her and we talked and she's open to me being a little more involved and now Luke is letting me help with her party!" Lorelai gushed. "It's finally happening, he's finally letting me in."

"That's great, Mom. I'm happy for you. When is the party?"

"Saturday. I'm thinking a make-up party."

"Always a hit," Rory nodded.

"I thought so. Well, I'll let you go back to bed now. Bye Sweets!"

"Bye," Rory chuckled.

She tossed the phone onto her nightstand and fell back against her pillow.

"Your mother is insane," Jess groaned.

"Because your mother is just so normal," Rory sniffed. "I need coffee."

She rolled over and fell onto the floor, barely avoiding hitting her head off the corner of the nightstand.

"You okay?" Jess asked, looking over the side of the bed.

"Ow," she pouted. "I need coffee!"

"Obviously," Jess agreed. "I also suggest you put on pants."

"Huh," she looked down at her bare legs. "Where did my pants go?"

"You kicked them off sometime in the middle of the night."

"Hmph," she rolled onto her hands and knees and started crawling around the floor, looking for something to put on.

She finally found a pair of boxers she had stolen from Jess and slipped them on, along with a sweater, then headed out for coffee.

She returned a few minutes later with two steaming mugs and a plate of Poptarts.

"Wow, breakfast in bed. I'm impressed," Jess sat up.

"I'm a woman of many talents," she grinned. "When do you have to go home?"

"As soon as I remember where my clothes are."

"Does that mean you'll stay if I hide your clothes?"

"No."

"Damn," Rory huffed and started rummaging through her drawers.

"What are you doing?"

"I have a class in an hour. I need to take a shower and get dressed... where is my bra?"

"Ceiling fan," Jess pointed above his head.

"Right!" She climbed onto the bed and pulled the garment down.

"Because that's completely normal," Jess said sarcastically.

"I put it up there to dry after I did laundry last week," she explained. "It seemed like the most convenient place."

"Sure."

"Don't judge me," she frowned.

"Never," Jess assured her.

"Okay, I'm going to go shower now."

"Want some company?"

"Absolutely, but the lock on the bathroom is broken and Paris walks in on a regular basis."

"Kinky."

Rory snorted and headed for the bathroom, leaving him alone to get his stuff together and get ready to head back to Philly. He was waiting at the door when she finally emerged from the shower, ready to get back on the road.

"Are you sure you have to go?" Rory pouted.

"I'm sure. Are you going to come down this weekend?"

"I'll try," she stood on her toes and kissed him. "Call me when you get home."

"I will," he promised.

They shared one more kiss, exchanged 'I love you's and then he was gone and Rory headed for her class, thinking about how tired she was of this long distance crap and how excited she was for the semester to be over.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**

In the weeks following the wedding Rory fell into a finals induced hibernation, emerging only for occasional phone calls to her mother or Jess, all of which were short and distracted. Jess could have announced that they were selling Truncheon and starting a Bee Gee's cover band and all she would have said was, "That's great, Hon!"

It wasn't until she finished her last final that she finally crawled out of the apartment and learned what had been happening in the world around her- specifically, that her mother and Luke were seconds away from a very conscious uncoupling and the boys had gone ahead and bought the bar. She was only informed of the tension in her mother's relationship though, when Sookie called her late one night to say that Lorelai had shown up on their doorstep and was now sleeping on the couch.

"I don't know what's going on," Sookie admitted. "I just know that there's something wrong and I think it has to do with her and Luke."

"Okay, I'll call her," Rory promised. "Thanks for letting me know, Sookie. I've been kind of out of the loop since finals started."

"I figured, that's why I thought I should let you know."

"Thanks. Bye, Sookie!"

Rory hung up and called her mother, but was put straight through to her answering machine, much to her annoyance. She left a short message with instructions to call her immediately, then went back to packing up her stuff for her impending move back to Philly. When she hadn't heard back from her mom by the time she was heading to bed she called again, but got the machine and gave up for the night, planning to call as soon as she got up. Instead, however, Lorelai called her early the next morning, before she had even got out of bed.

"You're grounded!" Rory scolded.

"Sorry, Mom! Kimmy saw this guy at the mall who was a total Chachi, and he bought us a slurpee and we totally lost track of time," Lorelai apologized.

"I called you twice," Rory informed her. "I left messages. I called the national guard, who didn't answer because they're all in Baghdad."

"I just checked my messages."

"I won't be ignored, Dan!"

"I know," Lorelai laughed. "I'm hiding my rabbit as we speak."

"So what's the deal?"

"No deal," her mom lied. "I spent the night a Sookie's last night."

"Why?"

"We were talking and it got late, so I crashed on her couch and woke up covered in jam."

"Is everything okay?" Rory asked, her tone full of concern.

"Everything fine. How's everything with you? How was your last final?"

"I think it went good," Rory shrugged. "Now I'm just packing all my stuff up so I can head to Philly tonight. Which reminds me, I won't be at Friday Night Dinner."

"No! Why?" Lorelai demanded.

"I have more stuff than I could fit in my car and tonight is the only night in the next few weeks that Jess can drive up and help me get my stuff back home."

"Okay," Lorelai huffed. "But you should know that I'm adding this to the list of things you owe me for, right above labour and all the money I had to spend on diapers."

"That seems fair. I'll talk to you later?"

"Alright, bye kid!"

Rory hung up and sat up in bed, worrying about her mother more than she usually did. When Luke had agreed to let her help with April's birthday party they had all been convinced that it was the turning point, that Luke was finally going to let her into his new life. Unfortunately, they had been wrong. Since the party he had been even more distant than usual, using Anna as an excuse by claiming that she wasn't completely comfortable with Lorelai being a part of her daughter's life. This had obviously put way too much pressure on Lorelai, and Rory could tell that she was only minutes away from collapse or combustion. It was only a matter of time until somebody made the first move.

She desperately wanted to help, to make them see what they were doing to each other, but she knew it would be useless. Luke and her mom needed to figure this out for themselves, and no amount of pressure from her or Jess or Sookie or anyone else was going to make that happen. It had to be them.

So, with a sense of dread constantly hanging over their heads, they had to get on with their lives and just be ready to pick up the pieces when things finally came to the tipping point. Which was why Rory fought the urge to go home and yell at her mother and future step-father and instead made a pot of coffee and went back to packing up her belongings.

When Jess got to her apartment it took them less than an hour to get all her stuff packed into their cars, and after a quick good-bye to Paris and a promise to call her when they got in, they were on the road. As usual Rory lagged behind, making numerous stops along the way for coffee and food, so by the time she pulled up in front of Truncheon, Jess had already unloaded all the boxes from his car and was standing in the doorway waiting for her to arrive.

"One day, you're going to be able to make the drive here without stopping twelve times," he said as she got out of the car.

"No way," Rory shook her head. "It's impossible to make that drive without at least two coffee stops."

"I've never had a problem."

"Yes, but you're not a Gilmore," she explained. "My central nervous system comes to a grinding halt if it doesn't have a constant caffeine intake, you just get grumpy."

"You should really get that looked at. What's going to happen when a freak accident occurs and you're forced to go more than two hours without coffee?"

"Death. Slow and painful death. And I'm taking you down with me."

"Good to know," Jess laughed and popped the trunk of her car. "Can you go get Chris to come give me a hand?"

"On it," Rory nodded.

She ran inside and sent Chris and Matt out to start some sort of assembly line, then went upstairs to start organizing things. She was shocked to find, however, that Jess had beat her to it.

"Wow," she nodded approvingly when he came up and explained the system. "And here I thought I was going to have to spend the next week sifting through every box in every room to find my underwear."

"Hey, I may look like a slob, but I do have a system," Jess defended himself. "And that system does not include my girlfriend chucking everything she owns around our apartment until she finds what she's looking for. Because if that happened, we would never clean up and we'd spend the rest of our lives living in something that resembled the aftermath of a natural disaster before celebrities get involved."

"Somebody's touchy," Rory observed.

"I just like things to be in their place."

"Ha!" Rory patted his arm. "That's so cute that you forget that I've been living here on and off for close to a year. You're more disorganized than my mom!"

"That is not true! I organize my t-shirts by band and genre, and are you seeing the boxes?" Jess argued. "Maybe I'm turning over a new leaf!"

"Sure you are, babe." Rory kissed his cheek and headed for the bedroom to start unpacking her clothes.

It didn't take long for them to realize, however, that they didn't really have enough room for all her stuff- especially the books.

"Okay," Rory took a breath and observed the chaos that surrounded her. "I have an idea."

"Fantastic," Jess dropped the pile of books he had been trying to fit on the shelf and looked up at her.

"Most of these are duplicates," she explained. "So why don't we just leave them in their boxes, and I'll take them back to Stars Hollow until school starts again."

"You're willing to part with your books?" Jess asked, watching her with awe.

"Well, I have your books to keep me company," she reasoned.

"Fair enough."

"I can take some of my clothes back there too," Rory added. "The ones that I won't be using until I go back to school and the ones that I wear to Friday Night Dinners. I only really need one or two outfits for that."

"Since when?" Jess scoffed.

"Since I've started taking great joy in driving my grandmother nuts," Rory smiled. "You wouldn't believe how much fun it can be."

"Oh, I think I would."

"So it's settled. The books stay where they are, and tomorrow I'll take them back to their house."

"Tomorrow?" Jess raised an eyebrow and pulled her over to sit in his lap.

"Maybe the next day," she smirked.

 _In Stars Hollow..._

Lorelai was determined. She had spent the last hour sitting in the back of a car, talking to a therapist about her entire life and she had finally made a decision. She was tired of waiting for Luke to let her in, waiting for him to be ready. It was now or never. She had reached the tipping point and she was ready to take action.

She marched across the town square, her jaw set and her mind racing as she tried to figure out exactly what she wanted to say. A few people waved at her or stopped to chat, but she flew past them, focused on nothing but the diner.

"Where have you been?!" Luke demanded when she entered the building.

"It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? I've been looking everywhere! I tried your cell, I went to your house and found Miss Patty, who said you were with Sookie, so I tried there-"

"Let's elope," she interrupted his rant.

"What?" Luke stared at her, shocked.

"Come on, Luke. Grab your keys and let's go!"

"Elope?"

"You said that would be fine at Martha's Vineyard," Lorelai reasoned. "Didn't you say that would be fine?"

"Yes, I did. I'm just-"

"Come on then!" she pushed. "We can drive to Maryland. What the hell, right? I mean, you have to see Maryland eventually. We can drive there, get married and then come back here. And you'll get your stuff and you'll move in."

"Okay, hold on." Luke tried to slow her down, but she was on a mission.

"I mean, we have the plan already. We just have to put the plan in motion."

"Let's calm down," Luke tried again, glaring at all the people watching them. "We don't have to figure this all out right now, do we?"

"Yes, we do," Lorelai cried. "Because we've been waiting and putting it off and I don't want to put it off anymore."

"But right now?" Luke demanded.

"Yes! Now is the right time. It's the best time, because it's now!"

"Come on," Luke opened that door and led her outside to get some privacy.

"Your car or mine?" Lorelai pushed.

"Lorelai, let's just talk this through," he tried once more to get her to slow down.

"No, I don't want to talk! All we've done for months is talk. I want to do. I want to go!"

"We can't just take off and get married," Luke argued.

"Why not? Don't you love me!?"

"Of course I love you!" he cried, hurt that she would even ask that. "You know I do."

"But I _love you_. Luke, I love you!" Lorelai cried, close to tears. "But I have waited, and I have stayed away and I have let you run things, and no more! I asked you to marry me and you said yes!"

"I'm just trying to think here," Luke cried, wishing she would stop talking for just one second so he could get his bearings.

"We fixed up the house, right?" She continued. "We have a bigger closet, and I didn't get the purple wallpaper because you didn't like the purple wallpaper. And if it's between you and the purple wallpaper, I pick you!"

"I didn't tell you not to get the purple wallpaper," Luke argued.

"Oh my God!" Lorelai threw her hands in the air. "You didn't like it!"

"I don't care about purple wallpaper!"

"Do you care about me?!"

"Yes!" Luke assured her.

"Because I'm going crazy here," she almost sobbed. "I made a commitment to you, and I need to make it happen."

"It will happen," Luke promised. "I just have April to consider."

"But once we're married, everything will be fine," Lorelai argued. "Anna said so."

"When did you talk to Anna?" Luke asked.

"After the birthday party, I went to her store again."

"You weren't supposed to talk to Anna," Luke said.

"I know. I'm sor-" Lorelai started to apologize, then stopped herself. "God, no! I'm not going to defend myself! For months I've been skulking around not saying anything, not having an opinion, like I'm Clarence Thomas or something, and I... I'm done with that! I've been waiting for a long time and I don't want to wait anymore!"

"I have to think this through!" Luke huffed.

"No!"

"I have April!"

"You're gonna have to figure out how April fits into our lives!" Lorelai yelled. "Not the other way around."

"I'm trying!"

"Try married!"

"Just wait!" Luke begged.

"No!" She screamed. "I'm not waiting! It's now or never!"

"I don't like ultimatums!"

"I don't like Mondays, but unfortunately they come around eventually!" Lorelai argued.

"I can't just jump like this!" Luke cried. "I need a minute to think."

"I don't have a minute! Luke, it's now or never. I need you to decide," she let out a deep breath. "Because I can't do this anymore. It's killing me, and I just... I can't."

She stared at the ground, feeling the tears she had been holding back begin to fall and watching them hit the pavement.

Luke stared at the woman in front of him, frantically trying to piece together what she was saying, his brain spinning at a mile a minute as he took in her words, her face, her tears.

There was a moment of quiet, and just as Lorelai was about to give up and walk away, he spoke.

"Okay."

"What?" She looked up in surprise.

"Okay," he repeated. "Let's elope. Let's get married. Let's go."

"Really?"

"Really," Luke smiled nervously. "I don't want to lose you. If it's now or never, I choose now. I can't imagine my life without you, I waited for you for years, I'm not about to throw it all away."

Lorelai stood frozen for a moment, trying to contemplate what he was saying. Yes, she had stormed into the diner with an ultimatum, but she had sincerely expected him to let her walk away. Instead, he was finally jumping.

"Lorelai?" He asked, trying to read her face.

She smiled and hurled herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"Let's get married!"

"Let's get married," he laughed. "Go home, pack. I'll close up the diner and pick you up soon."

"Okay," Lorelai beamed. "I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," Luke agreed.

He turned and headed back to the diner, and after a minute of watching him go, Lorelai jumped into action and started running towards her house.

She was getting married.

 _ **A/N: Hi Everyone! Thanks so much for reading this story, I'm so appreciative of all your comments and favourites! So obviously I took a complete and total turn with this story, and I know this is a bit of cliffhanger, but fear not! I've already started working on the next story in this series (I think there will be three in total, but I'll keep you posted) It's called When You Open Your Eyes and I'll be putting up the first chapter within a day or two. I hope you've all enjoyed this story, and that you'll keep reading the next one.**_

 _ **-Emily**_


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